Jump Then Fall
by Psychedelic-City
Summary: Kurt has finally decided to put Finn behind him. When a quirky new hipster moves to Lima from NYC, he discovers that starting fresh is a lot easier than he thought... then again, when you're 16 and gay in a small town, nothing is ever easy. Kurt/OC
1. Brave

So, as we all know, Kurt is getting a boyfriend in Season 2! Squee! So this story is basically what I want to happen. Kurt's POV because he's so much fun to portray. Enjoy, and leave me a review if you like it :)

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**Chapter 1 - Brave**

The slam of the door as I barged into my bedroom was loud enough to wake the entire city of Lima. I wiped away the bitter tears that just wouldn't stop falling as I collapsed face first onto my bed. I let the sobs shake me, finally releasing all the feelings I had kept bottled up for what felt like forever. Everything poured out of my eyes and onto my pillow. Why? Why did everything always happen to me?

Finn.

Rachel.

Dad.

Mrs. Hudson.

That stupid Jesse kid.

Where did I even begin?

Well, if I was being perfectly honest, I would say September 4th 2006, when I first met Finn Hudson. But no, that's not when _this _mess started. This started about a month ago, when I was helping my dad with his auto shop.

"Kurt?"

"Mmm?" I replied, handing him a wrench.

"I need to talk to you about something..." he began. "Someone I've been seeing."

I nearly choked on my TicTac. "WHAT?" I could never imagine my dad with anyone but my mom. I felt as if I'd just been punched in the stomach.

"Kurt, it's been ten years," my dad said as he rolled out from under the car. "I thought I should start... well... dating again."

I sighed, attempting to process the information I had just received. "Okay."

"You'll really like her, Kurt," he said, attempting a smile. "I know I do. She has a kid your age, I think. They're coming over for dinner tomorrow."

And lo and behold, who shows up at my doorstep the next night?

You guessed it.

None other than Finn Hudson and his peachy little mother.

My heart was being out of control all through dinner, being that we sat right next to each other at the table and our elbows were constantly bumping into each other. It was all downhill from there.

In glee club, we started scrimmaging with Vocal Adrenaline, since Mr. Schue seemed so interested in them. (More like he was interested in their tall flippy-haired Cruela Devil of a coach whom, I might add, wore fabulous pumps and had an angel voice that made everyone around stop and listen when she sang.) Rachel, irritating as ever, began dating their "miva", Jesse, a tall curly-haired baritenor who yelled even more than Coach Sylvester. One night during our little "family dinners", Finn sat down next to me on the couch, looking like he was about to cry.

"Kurt, can you keep a secret?"

My love for gossip overruled my fear of what his secret might be. "Of course, Finn."

"I'm in love with Rachel."

_Slushie-to-the-face._

"Oh." My voice wavered, even though I saw this coming a mile away.

"Yeah, and I just want to _kill _that Jesse bastard," he snarled. "You... you think you can help me win her back?"

_No. No I will not help you win her back because she's a nasty little bitch and you belong with me._

"Okay," I lied, faking a smile. "What are... _brothers _for?" I said the word with as much distaste as possible.

Did I help him? Pshh, no. Little by little, his Jesse-Rachel rants killed me. Just having the boy I love more than anything talk about how much he loves the girl I hate more than anything was excruciatingly painful. Even Mercedes noticed how much it was getting to me.

But the real bomb dropped today - Regionals day. On the outside, the competition was surprisingly normal - We sang our songs ("One", "Bad Romance", and "Hello, Goodbye") and Vocal Adrenaline sang theirs ("Highway to Hell", "Dancing in the Dark" and "Paint it Black"). There where two other teams, but one was incredibly boring and the other was just plain awful. However, on the inside, we were a mess. Rachel was hysterical because she found out Jesse was just using her to spy on New Directions. Finn was furious for the same reason, and was a little more than blatantly flirting with her. I was chartreuse with envy, but trying to hide it as best I could. Mr. Schue seemed extremely distracted and wouldn't get off his damn cellphone, and worst of all, Quinn was starting to feel contraptions. After the show was over, Puck rushed her to the hospital and the rest of us stuck around to hear the result. I wandered around the building, trying not to focus on my broken heart and pay attention to the competition, but I found that kinda hard when I walked in on Rachel and Finn making out in a secluded corner. They didn't see me, so I stayed and watched. God knows why I torture myself like that.

"Finn, I'm so sorry," she said breathlessly when they broke apart.

"Shhh," he hissed, running his thumb across her flushed cheek. "It's not your fault."

She smiled and kissed him again.

"Well, now that I have this off my mind, I can work on fixing my bajillions of other problems..."

"Like?" she asked, her dainty little hand running along his shoulder.

"I don't think I told you, but my mom is dating Kurt's dad," he told as Rachel gasped. "And it's more than obvious that the dude has a major crush on me."

That was when I ran. Down the hallway, down the stairs, out the door, across the parking lot and into the safety of my car. I let the tears fall as I drove, exceeding the speed limit slightly, but I didn't care. I had to get home.

The tears where slowing down now, and I sat up just as I heard my dad walking in.

"Kurt? You home?"

I cleared my throat. "Up here, dad!"

I heard his footsteps coming up the stairs and wiped my remaining tears away.

"How'd your glee thingy go today?" he asked, shutting the door behind him.

"Good... I think."

"You think?"

"Yeah... I had to leave early."

"Why?" his eyes fell on my saturated pillow. "Kurt, have you been crying?"

"What? No!" I lied.

He stared right into my puffy red eyes.

"Yes."

"What happened?" he demanded. "Who do I have to hurt?"

I laughed and shook my head. "I don't think you want to know."

"Kurt, you're my son, and I want to know what happened to you."

With a sharp intake of breath, the story of how I've been in love with Finn since freshman year and how he was now dating my arch nemesis spilled out of me. I avoided my dad's eyes until I was finished. He looked absolutely horror-struck.

"I... I had no idea..." he stuttered. "Look, Kurt, I'm not exactly a relationship guru or anything, but I do know that you're better than this. If Finn doesn't feel the same way you do, well, it's his loss. He's not worth it. And, well, the last thing I want to do is see you suffer, and if it takes ending things with Carole, then so be it."

"No, no, no," I exclaimed. "Dad, I want you to be happy too. And I know how happy she makes you."

My dad sighed and turned his cap around. "You sure about this?"

I nodded. "Yeah, dad. Absolutely."

He nodded. "Alright then. Well, I'm going to sleep, it's late. You should get some rest too."

I waited till he was out of the room to get out of bed. I walked over to my vanity and stared at my reflection. My eyes were red and puffy from crying, and my hair was a mess. I fixed it up with my hand and posed. My dad was right. I was better than this. I didn't need Finn. What I did need was a fresh start.

As quietly as possible, I sneaked down to the basement. Sitting down at my keyboard, I fiddled with the volume till it was low enough not to wake my dad but loud enough for me to hear. I smiled as all the fond memories of my mom teaching me how to play piano flooded back into me. I took a deep breath so I wouldn't start crying again, and began to play.

_I don't know just where I'm going_

_And tomorrow, it's a little overwhelming_

_And the air is cold_

_And I'm not the same anymore_

_I've been running in your direction _

_For to long now_

_I've lost my own reflection_

_And I can't look down_

_If you're not there to catch me when I fall._

_If this is the moment I stand here on my own_

_If this is my rite of passage that somehow leads me home_

_I might be afraid _

_But it's my turn to be brave_

As I sang, I tried to convince myself that I was done with Finn. He was a thing of the past. But in order to put him behind me, I just needed to be brave.

_All along all I ever wanted, was to be the light_

_When your life was daunting_

_But I can't see mine_

_When I feel as though you're pushing me away_

_Well who's to blame, are we making the right choices_

_Cause we can't be sure if we're hearing our own voices_

_As we close the door even though we are so desperate to stay_

Finn had been all I wanted for two and a half years now. I always knew it wasn't good for me, that I should be chasing after someone who couldn't reciprocate my feelings. But I wanted him so much.

_And I might still cry_

_And I might still bleed_

_These thorns in my side_

_This heart on my sleeve_

_And lightening may strike _

_This ground at my feet_

_And I might still crash_

_But I still believe_

This wasn't going to be easy, I was sure of that. It was possibly going to be the hardest thing I'd ever had to go through. But I had to keep my head up. I had to believe in myself.

_This is the moment I stand here all alone_

_With everything I have inside, everything I own_

_I might be afraid _

_But it's my turn to be brave_

_If this is the last time before we say goodbye_

_At least it's the first day of the rest of my life_

_I can't be afraid _

_Cause it's my turn to be brave_

Goodbye, Finn. I was moving on. The thought was absolutely terrifying, but I had to be brave. That was all it took.

I played the last chord and smiled to myself for the first time in what felt like forever.

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Thanks for reading! Hope you liked it so far. The song is "Brave" by the wonderful and fabulous Idina Menzel.


	2. Notes

Yay for feedback! I appreciate it :)

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**Chapter 2 – Notes**

I was woken from a peaceful, dreamless slumber by a text from Mercedes –

**OMGOMGOMGOMG WE WONNNN :D :D :D**

I could've danced on the spot if I wasn't so sleep deprived. We actually beat Vocal Adrenaline? We were going to States? There was no way! The news put me in a surprisingly good mood. I wore my yellow Gucci polo and waltzed around the kitchen humming "Dancing Through Life".

"What's gotten into you?" my dad asked, taking a giant bite out of his bagel.

"We won," I told, pouring myself a cup of coffee. "We won Regionals and beat Vocal Adrenaline!" Judging by the expression on his face, which matched Brittany's in math class, my dad had no idea what I was talking about.

"That's great… congrats."

I nodded and grabbed my little baggie of almonds. "Well, I'm off."

I found the rest of the glee club gathered around Mercedes' car. Rachel made cookies and apple cider to celebrate. I quietly sneaked into the group, hoping to avoid any questions about my sudden disappearance the night before.

"To glee!" Artie toasted.

"And hard work so we can go to Nationals!" Rachel added. I glared at her, but she didn't seem to notice. Everyone else found her comment hysterical.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Finn pulling into the parking lot, which was my cue to sneak away. I had Spanish first anyway, and I needed to go over my notes in order to pass the quiz we were having today. Soon, the hallways began to fill up, and it was time to head over to our first period classes. My last minute cramming left me feeling anxious, but I figured if things got too difficult, I could always cheat off Santana.

I checked my reflection in the mirror one last time, patted down that one strand of hair in the back of my head that just wouldn't lay flat, and closed my locker. As I started towards Mr. Schuester's classroom, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Hey, uh, can you help me find Mr. Schuester's Spanish class?"

I had never seen this tall, lanky boy before. His big gray eyes were hidden behind thick framed Ray-Ban glasses, which where hidden behind tufts of shiny black stick-straightened hair. My eyes then fell on his "The Beatles" shirt, which was paired with a gray hipster vest, black skinny jeans (though not nearly as tight as mine) and classic black Converse.

Too preoccupied with his clothes, I almost forgot that he was waiting for me to respond.

"Yeah," I swallowed hard. "I'm actually going there right now."

"Sweet, thanks," he smiled, revealing dimples on each flushed cheek. "I'm glad I found at least one person who's willing to help me. Everyone else just gave me a funny look and kept walking."

I laughed. "That's McKinley High. Are you new here?"

"Yeah," he replied dejectedly. "My mom, my sister and me just moved here from New York."

"New York, as in New York City New York?" I exclaimed, immediately feeling embarrassed for my childish enthusiasm.

Now it was his turn to laugh. "Yeah, New York City. Brooklyn, to be more precise."

I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. Here I was, on an average Monday morning in April, with the knowledge that we beat Vocal Adrenaline and escorting a real live New York hipster to Spanish class.

"That's awesome," I said, pushing open toe door to Mr. Schue's room as he walked in. "I went there once with my mom when I was a kid, I barely remember it, but it had to be the most magical experience of my entire sixteen years."

"Most New Yorkers would roll their eyes at that, but I'm not gonna lie, it _is _pretty amazing."

Everyone in Mr. Schue's room was already in their seats.

"Kurt, you're late."

I ushered a hasty apology and made my way to my seat in the back.

"Oh, you must be the Katz kid," he turned to face the new kid, and I realized I still didn't know his name. "Welcome to McKinley High. Today we're taking a quiz, so you can take that empty desk in the back next to Kurt and start reading the textbook so you can catch up on what you've missed."

I was excited beyond belief. I got to sit next to the New Yorker in Spanish class? It was perfect – I could ask him a million questions and Mr. Schue would never notice. He nodded at me as he sat down, pulling a giant book out of his book bag, which was covered in little buttons with band names and famous quotes.

"Hey, uh, I didn't catch you name," I whispered as I scribbled my name at the top of my paper.

"Dylan," he said, tossing his bangs out of his face. "Katz. And you're Kurt, right?"

I shrugged nonchalantly. "That's me."

"Shhh!" Mr. Schue eyed the class from behind his copy of _Jazz Hands_.

Dylan rolled his eyes and ripped a corner of loose leaf paper. I was already almost done with my quiz. Cramming was a lot more efficient than everyone gave it credit for. The corner of looseleaf landed on my desk.

**you have the same name as my idol ;D**

I smiled and scribbled out a response.

**Really, and who would that be?**

I passed the note back and looked at the last word on my test. Oh, crap. Helicopter? When did we cover that?! It wasn't in my notes! Another piece of loose leaf was pushed in front of me.

**kurt cobain :) **

I smiled. _Of course._

**Haha, I should've known ;D Hey, do you happen to know how to say Helicopter in Spanish?**

I waited patiently for a response.

**lol noooo. i took japanese at laguardia haha. flunked it anyway. i don't understand any other languages but english… and some hebrew haha ;D**

I shrugged and took the easy way out. _Helicoptero. _Then I went back to what really was important, at least in my mind.

**LaGuardia? Some fancy school haha. We only have Spanish here at McKinley.**

And the note passing went on.

**yeah, it's the top performing arts school in nyc, not to toot my own horn or anything lol. me and my sister went there. she was a vocal major and i was a was an instrumental major.**

** Wow, majors? Fancy! What do you play?**

** guitar and cello. i'm not that good at either, to be honest haha. so, what extra curricular stuff do you have here?**

** Not much, really. There's sports, I think football season is starting up again, and then there's Cheerios (cheerleaders), Drama club, Jazz band and a bunch of other little clubs that no one really cares about. I'm 100% committed to the Glee club, actually ;D We just won Regionals!**

** glee club? sweet, my sister's gonna love that. i think i'll try for football, i was the kicker at laguardia. i guess i'll try glee and jazz band too. i need to keep busy lol.**

I laughed out loud, receiving another "Shhh!" from Mr. Schue.

**I was the kicker for a while lol, then I quit. Wasn't my thing. Glee's pretty cool, although I'm warning you, it's social suicide.**

** lol you on the football team? that's good. gah, who cares. i was never meant to be popular haha**

** Is it really that hard to believe? Wow, that's brave. New kid and willing come join us losers ;D**

** the losers are always the ones who end up with the power ;D**

The sharp ringing off the bell startled me.

"Alright, everybody put your pens down and pass up your papers."

I did so, and grabbed my bag to leave. Dylan followed me out into the hall.

"So, for the clubs, what do I have to do to join?" he asked as I headed towards the stairwell.

"I don't know about the other two, but for Glee club you can just go down to room 163 at 3:30 and set up an audition with Mr. Schue," I told him.

"The Spanish teacher?"

I nodded.

"Wow, this _is _a strange school." We both laughed. "But I'll be there. And I'll bring my sister too."

"Great! See you there."

He waved as I started down the stairs. I realized I still had his note crumpled up in my hand.

**the losers are always the ones who end up with the power ;D**

I smiled and stuffed it in my pocket. Definitely a keeper.

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So what do you think of Dylan? I'd love some reviews! Btw – LaGuardia is the school I will be attending this fall. SOFREAKINEXCITED! I'll be a Vocal Major, and I'm beyond psyched to take Japanese ;D More songs in the next chapter!


	3. Initiation

Holy absence! Sorry about that! But HEY! Thanks for the reviews! You guys are amazing. So here is Chapter 3, hope you like it :)

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**Initiation**

Glee club was in the middle of a spontaneous sing along to "Wannabe" when Dylan and his sister barged into the choir room, both seeming out of breath. Mr. Schuester let us have the period to hang out in celebration of winning Regionals. The entire roomed turned to stare at the intruders, surprised to see anyone from the outside paying attention to our outcast ensemble. Dylan's sister was short and stocky with curly brown hair and pink dimpled cheeks to match her brothers. I could tell she was most likely a freshman because of the acne that lined her eyebrows and her chipped nail polish. The first thing I noticed about her, however, was her jacket. It was a gorgeous red woolen pea coat with large brass buckles and an empire waist cut. I made a mental note to ask her where she bought it later.

"Sorry, uh, we got lost," Dylan said with a laugh. "This is glee club, right?"

Mr. Schuester nodded. "That's right. Can I help you kids."

"Yeah," he said. "I'm Dylan Katz and this is my kid sister Hannah. We're new here, and we were wondering if we could set up an audition."

Mr. Schue turned to look at us, eyeing me in particular as everyone in the room nodded. I looked away awkwardly.

"Well, we're almost out of time today," he began, checking his watch. Do you think you can have something prepared by tomorrow?"

Dylan and his sister exchanged a glance. "Sounds good."

"Great!" Mr. Schue clapped his hands together. "Tomorrow, three thirty sharp. Come prepared with sheet music."

"Alrighty, thanks so much." Dylan waved as he started out the door. As he left, I could've sworn I saw him winking at me.

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"Okay, alright, but can you hear the way Jennifer projects?" Mercedes argued as we made our way towards the girl's bathroom. Surprisingly, girls were starting not to care about me being in there. "I want you to but Beyonce in a crowded stadium with no mic and see if the people all the way in the back will hear her."

"Well, it won't matter, cause she'd just start dancing and everyone will love it!" I shot back with a smirk. "Ha. Can Jennifer Hudson dance? I don't think so."

I marveled at the look of defeat on my best friend's face.

"Fine, touché," she surrendered, pushing open the bathroom door as I walked in.

There was only one person in there, and she was hunched over the sink with purple ice dripping from her curls. She was muttering to herself about shampoo and running the faucet, attempting to rid herself of the sticky liquid. It didn't take long to realize who it was.

"Hey, uh, Hannah right?" I ventured. She jumped, startled, and peered up through her sopping hair.

"Yeah," she said. "You two are from glee club, right?"

Mercedes nodded. "Are you alright?"

"Oh yeah, sure!" she snarled. "Besides the fact that someone just 'accidentally' spilled their ice-cold drink of me, I'm just dandy." Her voice dripped with sarcasm. Mercedes and I exchanged a glance.

Clearing my throat, I stepped forward.

"Hannah, allow me to introduce you to a little thing we like to call 'The Slushy Facial'. The so-called 'cool kids' like to throw slushies at us so-called 'losers' for their own personal enjoyment, while we are left to moan and groan in the bathrooms, attempting to recover from the cold blow to our pride and expensive clothing."

Hannah looked at me as if I'd just announced that I ate kittens for breakfast.

"Why doesn't anyone tell the principal?" she exclaimed. "Why don't they get in trouble?"

Mercedes snorted. "Oh, it don't work like that here at McKinley. The teachers couldn't care less about what us 'misfits' are doing. They just want to get paid."

"Oh, you have GOT to be kidding me!" she leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor. "I can't believe I'm in THIS shithole when I could be at the best friggin performing arts school in New York City! Urgh, fuck my life! And it's a new jacket too."

_Holy shit. The jacket._

"Here, let me take that," I said, offering her a hand. "The local dry cleaners and I go way back. I'll get this fixed up for you in no time."

She handed me the jacket hesitantly. "Thanks. You know, you really don't have to do this."

I smiled, remembering the line from my favorite musical. "I know. That's what makes me so nice."

She laughed. "Wicked fan?"

"Huge," Mercedes spoke for me. She eyed Hannah up and down as I laughed and checked the tag of the jacket discreetly. _Donna Karan. Nice!_

"Girl, you're a mess," Mercedes said finally.

"No, really?"

I suppressed a giggle. I was already starting to like Hannah Katz.

"You know, why don't you come over to my place?" I offered. "I'll get you fixed up and maybe we can help you prepare for our audition."

Now it was Hannah's turn to eyeball us. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Honey, we know what it's like to be the odd ones out." Mercedes explained. "We know what it's like to get a slushy in the face and feel like the world is against you. The least we could do is help."

I nodded. "And besides, I can't pass up a good opportunity for a makeover."

Hannah laughed again and dug her fingers into her roots. "Sure, why not. Lemme just text my brother and let him know."

She leaned over to pick up her bag and her shirt rode up a bit in the back. Ordinarily, a girl's ass would be the last thing I'd be staring at, but it suddenly became intriguing when the Armani Exchange logo was plastered across the left pocket. I then noticed her teal peasant blouse and fabulous red velvet flats. The girl really knew how to dress herself!

"Nice jeans," I said as she stood upright again.

"Thanks," she replied. We started towards the parking lot. "Hey, uh, what were you doing in the girl's bathroom anyway?"

"Oh, it's a loooong story…"

* * *

Hannah was quiet for most of the ride, so much that I had to ask her embarrassing questions about New York to fill the awkward silence. She sounded like a tour guide when she talked about LaGuardia, as if she sat there with a thesaurus, looking up synonyms for even the most ordinary words.

"The vocal curriculum was impeccable," she told. "Of course, I had only been there for two thirds of the term, and I found it quite enjoyable. The professors where slightly meticulous, but that way it just facilitated the learning process."

At that point, she was starting to remind me of Rachel, so I said "Wow. You must me really talented to be accepted into such a prestigious school."

She shrugged. "Eh, whatevs."

I looked over at Mercedes, and she seemed just as confused as I was.

When we got to my house, I found a note stuck to the door –

**AT CAROLE'S.**

**BE BACK AFTER DINNER.**

**-DAD**

My stomach churned at the painful reminder.

"Who's Carole?" Hannah asked, peering over my shoulder.

"Dad's girlfriend," I explained hastily. "Come on, let's go upstairs."

"Nice house," she commented as we made our way up the stairs.

Mercedes nodded. "Word."

"Thanks," I replied, ushering the girls into the bathroom.

Quickly, I washed and conditioned Hannah's hair. Of course, she had to put in her two cents for everything. "Why do you have curly-hair shampoo?" she demanded. "Your hair is straight!"

"About the only part of him that is," Mercedes muttered. I smacked her arm and thanked my lucky stars that Hannah had shampoo in her ears and couldn't hear my best friend's completely good-spirited joke.

After her hair was clean and slushy-free, I brought her to my room and introduced her to my vast memorabilia of hair care products. Mercedes and I worked together to comb and trim her curls.

"You have split ends!" I exclaimed. "When was the last time you cut your hair?"

I proceeded to infest it with anti-frizz control and shine enhancer.

"All this crap's gonna make it fall out," Hannah complained.

"It's organic, you're fine."

Then I pulled out my tub of skincare products. Her face was looking clean and acne-free in a matter of minutes. I got the sense that she was starting to enjoy herself, until it was time for her nails.

"This," I began, pointing towards her chipped, bitten nails. "Is a major no-no. Full polish or no polish."

Mercedes was the nail expert, so she fixed them up as I found her something to wear. I settled for a pair of skinny jeans my aunt had gotten me three sizes too big, and an old polo shirt.

"Wow," Hannah said when we were finished. "My acne's gone. I don't even recognize myself. Props!"

Mercedes gave me a high five.

"Yes, while your fashion sense is impeccable, your hair and skin care could use some work."

"Well, I for one, am blown away."

I smiled, pleased with myself.

* * *

"So, what're you singing for your audition?" Mercedes asked as we sat down at the keyboard in the basement..

"Gimme Gimme," she replied, adjusting her shirt and taking a step back. "In B flat. I actually have the music with me, if you want."

"No, it's okay," I told her. "My devotion to Sutton Foster has led me to learn every single song she was ever sung in public."

"Wow," Hannah nodded, though not really seeming interested at all. "So, just start from the end bit, the 'Here I am…'"

"Got it. Whenever you're ready."

She nodded, and so we began.

_Here I am, St. Valentine_

_My bags are packed, I'm first in line_

_Aphrodite, don't forget me_

_Romeo and Juliet me_

_Fly, dove! Sing, sparrow!_

_Gimme fat boy's famous arrow_

_Gimme, gimme that thing called love!_

It was hard to keep playing as Hannah suspended that last note. Her arms came up a her sides, vibrato coming in perfectly as she cut off the note and I played the last chord. Mercedes and I sat there, absolutely dumbfounded. Hannah Katz could sing. She could sing like no one's business. She had a rich, Alto tone, yet she could still reach the high notes perfectly. She was completely in character with energy and stage presence. I felt like I might as well be watching Thoroughly Modern Millie on Broadway.

_Oh yeah_, I thought. _I am very talented, I'm just gonna act all modest and wait to show you later._

"…and you're a freshman?" Mercedes was the first to break the silence.

Hannah shrugged.

"Daaaaaamn."

"You're amazing," I added, at a loss for words.

"Aw, thanks," she replied. "My mom's a music teacher, so she's been teaching me since I was really little. Well, she is now, before that she was-"

The sweet sound of Kristin Chenoweth singing "My New Philosophy" filled the room. Hannah reached for her phone.

"Ah, my brother's outside, I gotta go."

We walked her upstairs and led her out the door. Dylan stood on the curb, leaning against a vintage Harley Davidson. _No way. He rides a motorcycle? No way! _Mercedes and I hugged Hannah goodbye and watched her bounce over to the bike. Dylan handed Hannah the extra helmet and slowly shuffled towards me.

"Hey, thanks for taking care of my sister," he said smiling. "She has some trouble making friends, so I appreciate it."

"It was an absolute pleasure!" I replied, wondering how Hannah could possibly have any trouble making friends. "So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Definitely." Dylan winked, for sure this time, and then was gone with a loud roar of his bike. New Yorkers were _too_ cool. I couldn't wait till tomorrow.

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Ehh, I don't like this chapter very much. I wrote it in a rush, especially the end. Any advice on how to make it better? I promise the next chapter will be better :)

Okay, I know what you're thinking. Oh no! A pointless OC! But fear not – Hannah is vital to the outcome of the story. SO, please keep reviewing! You guys make my life 3

-Marina =)


	4. Stirring

20 reviews already? You're kidding me! For that you get another chapter, earlier than I planned :) Yes, I love you guys THAT MUCH x3

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**Stirring**

The second hand raced around my watch as the time ticked away. I tapped my Prada boot impatiently and stared down the hallway.

_Alright, if he doesn't show up in 5, 4, 3, 2…_

"Hey!"

_About time._

"Sorry, Hannah had a… nevermind, let's just go." Dylan laughed and nodded towards the Spanish room.

"It's okay," I said, following him. "But if we're late, I'm blaming you."

He smiled, and I felt accomplished. Noticing the hallway was practically empty, I had an idea.

"Hey, race you!" I took off running before he could say "Hey! No fair!"

We made it to Spanish in time, quickly sitting down and settling in for the lesson.

"Cantare. To sing," Mr. Schuester began. I sighed, and little music notes began to form in the corner of my page, right before a corner of loose leaf was pushed onto my desk.

**danggg, you're fast!**

I laughed internally. Apparently, this note-passing thing was becoming a routine.

**Yeah, well, I work out xD**

** i can tell!**

I felt the blood rushing to my cheeks. Did he mean to imply that…?

**Haha, thanks. You ready for the Glee club audition?**

** totally ;D i'm allowed to play guitar, rite?**

** Pretty sure, yeah. What song are you singing?**

** sunday morning by maroon 5. not particularly interesting ;D**

** Oh, I love that song! How did the football and jazz band go?**

** i did the football audition on the spot and I'm in! yay. i'm doing the jazz band audition tomorrow.**

** That's great! Good luck :) Just promise me you won't turn into one of those football Neanderthals who throws slushies on people ;D**

** slushies?? lol i promise :)**

** Yeah, it's the McKinley High sport – "Throw Slushies on the Losers" They've made a target out of your sister, which is why I brought her over.**

** wtf?? that's ridiculous. **

** Tell me about it -_- Well, at least it teaches you who your true friends are.**

** true dat ;D have you ever slushied anyone?**

** Myself. I know, it's pathetic.**

** rotfl, why the hell would you do that?**

** It's a long, complicated story that you **_**really**_** don't wanna know.**

** anyone you wanna slushie?**

** Yes. Plenty.**

** who? spill!**

** Rachel Berry. She's the resident diva who totally stole my**

I realized I was telling way too much. I wasn't about to get personal with someone who, despite being pretty awesome, I had just met. Crumpling the note, I started over.

**Rachel Berry. Although, that's already happening daily without my help ;D**

** lol and who is she?**

** You'll see in glee club. And trust me, you'll know who she is.**

** lemme guess – diva?**

** Oh yeah. Major.**

** i see. we had toooons of those at lag. does she have competition?**

** Hell yeah. My BFF Mercedes can totally take her in a sing-off. Your sister too. **

** haha hannah would be flattered ;D**

The bell rang loudly, and the whole class rushed out. I was already counting the seconds till 3:30.

* * *

"Mr. Schuester, are you sure this is a good idea?" Rachel had arrived early to glee club in order to lecture Mr. Schuester. Of course.

"Rachel, I don't see what you're worried about," he responded, unlocking the door to the choir room and leading the two of us inside.

"We're excelling the way we are," Rachel explained. "We don't need any new members. That might slow us down."

"I still don't see how adding new members to our team is going to slow us down," he said. "If anything, it will help us win States. We can do more complicated numbers if we have more people. Back me up here, Kurt."

"Absolutely," I said. "We barely beat Vocal Adrenaline with our twelve members. Barely. And that was only for the city. Imagine how many professional, well rehearsed, 50-members-or-so show choirs there will be in the whole state?"

"But Mr. Schuester –"

Rachel was cut off by the sound of Santana and Brittany stomping and cheering as they walked in, most likely practicing for their new Cheerios routine. The rest of the glee club followed close behind. We were all settled in our seats when Dylan and Hannah walked in.

"Let's do this thing," said Mr. Schue, nodding at Hannah. "Ready?"

"Of course," she replied, pacing forward and placing her sheet music on the piano and smoothing out her gorgeous green spring dress.

In about 30 seconds, the entire room had their jaws on the ground. Even Rachel. Mission accomplished.

"Very nice," Mr. Schuester said, jotting down a few notes and then nodding at Dylan. "Your turn."

I shot him an encouraging smile. He winked.

_Sunday morning rain is falling_

_Steal some covers share some skin_

_Clouds are shrouding us in moments unforgettable_

_You twist to fit the mold that I am in_

_But things just get so crazy living life gets hard to do_

_And I would gladly hit the road get up and go if I knew_

_That someday it would bring me back to you_

_That someday it would bring me back to you_

A familiar stirring began in the pit of my stomach as Dylan sang. His voice was like… chocolate. So decadent I felt guilty listening to it. It was soft, yet rough and rich. He could definitely use some training. But I could tell he really meant was he was singing. He looked absolutely adorable with the guitar, bopping his head and smiling ever so shyly. I felt my heart beating faster and faster as the butterflies started to kick in…

_Oh crap. Oh crap. No, Kurt, no. You just went through this with Finn and you do NOT want all that again. Besides, you just met this kid. You barely know him. He probably has a girlfriend back in New York that he misses dearly and… he's so cute…_

I couldn't take it anymore. I looked away, trying to gain control of my hormones.

_That may be all I need_

_In darkness she is all I see_

_Come and rest your bones with me_

_Driving slow on sunday morning_

_And I never want to leave_

The room burst into applause. Dylan smiled and bowed his head. The look on Rachel Berry's face was absolutely priceless. Brittany, who was sitting right next to me, turned to Santana and whispered "He's hot," and got a slap in return. (_Girls.) _A wave of realization cascaded down on me. Dylan _was _hot. He was really hot. But a lot of guys were hot, right? It didn't mean anything. Nothing at all.

Mr. Schuester stood up. "Dylan, Hannah, welcome to New Directions."

Then, it happened. Dylan flashed me the most sincere, heartwarming smile I had ever seen, and it was all over.

_Shit._

* * *

Hmm... short chapter. Hope you liked it anyway! I'd love some reviews :)

-Marina x3


	5. Falling

So I just found out that Chris Colfer has a 14 year old seriously epileptic sister named Hannah, so I figured this character could be a sort of tribute to her. Here's more info, if you're interested (remove spaces): http : // www . 1300kyno . com / kynomedia / McEwen-02252010 . html

* * *

**Falling**

As much as I tossed and turned that night, sleep never came. My mind was too busy trying to sort out the plethora of emotions that were running through me: Frustration, because my hormones just couldn't stop themselves from being attracted to Dylan. Confusion, because deep down inside, I still sorta liked Finn. How could I like another guy so fast? Fear, because I didn't want to get my heart broken all over again. But, above all else, want. There was no doubt about it; Dylan was attractive. _Very_ attractive. Between the gorgeous gray eyes, he hipsterlicious clothes and the mesmerizing smile… he was perfect. And I had only known him for two days, but he had to be the most charming kid I had ever met. There mere thought of him made me swoon.

But NO! I couldn't do this so myself. Not again.

I groaned, rolling over towards my bedside table, grabbing my iPod and setting it to shuffle. Music always helped me fall asleep.

It was as if my iPod could read my mind. I almost laughed out loud at its song choice.

_I don't know but I think I may be_

_Fallin' for you, dropping so quickly_

_Maybe I should keep this to myself_

_Waiting 'til I know you better_

_I am trying not to tell you_

_But I want to_

_I'm scared of what you'll say_

_So I'm hiding what I'm feeling_

_But I'm tired of holding this inside my head_

_I've been spending all my time_

_Just thinking about ya_

_I don't know what to _

_I think I'm fallin' for you_

_I've been waiting all my life_

_And now I found ya_

_I don't know what to do _

_I think I'm fallin' for you_

_I'm fallin' for you_

I turned my iPod off. Still wide awake, I sighed, coming to terms with the fact that I really liked Dylan, and it was going to be a very long night.

* * *

The next few weeks weren't any better.

Dylan and Hannah fit right in with glee club – they were quiet, cooperative and quick learners. On Mondays and Wednesdays, Dylan had football, so Hannah came over to my house. Gradually, she was starting to sound less like a textbook and more like a teenage girl. Fridays, they joined Tina, Artie, Mercedes and I for Movie Night. The note passing with Dylan in Spanish continued, and soon expanded into whispering in the choir room, walking in the halls together, and texting late at night.

Now what could be wrong with that?

Everything.

The most time I spent with him, the more I fell for him, the more I fell for him. We never ran out of things to talk about. I found that he was funny, smart (in contrast with my previous crush), adorably dorky and sickeningly sweet. He could also be cocky, rebellious, and extremely stubborn, but when he winked and said "Catchya later, Kurt," that all seemed to melt away. Culturally, we didn't have much in common, except for our mutual love of the musical Spring Awakening. Other than that, he was all indie artists and old sci-fi movies. But I didn't care. He was adorable. I was falling hard, and the harder I fell, the harder it was to come to terms with the fact that he would most likely never reciprocate my feelings.

It was the last Saturday in April, and my dad invited Mrs. Hudson and Finn over for the first time since my breakdown. During dinner, Finn and I had our mouths shut as our parents argued about politics.

"Hey Kurt," Finn said, his mouth half full of burger.

"Yes?"

"Why do you hate Rachel so much?"

"I don't," I lied, staring at my plate of lettuce.

"Oh," Finn said, pushing fries around with his fork. "Wait, yes you do! You always roll your eyes at everything she says and stuff."

I huffed. "Finn, she annoys me, okay?"

"Yeah, but… never mind."

I rolled my eyes. Remind me what I ever saw in that kid?

* * *

**From: Dylan. Received: April 30****th**** at 11:47 PM**

** wat about girls?**

I lay in bed, comfortably under the covers, as I contemplated how I was going to answer this. Half of me wanted to tell him everything. I felt like I could trust him. But the other half of me was terrified. I took a deep breath.

**To: Dylan. Sent: April 30****th**** 11:50 PM**

** No, I've never had a girlfriend.**

His response came instantly.

**From: Dylan. Received; April 30****th**** 11:50 PM**

** ever been in love?**

I sighed. Oh, what the hell?!

**To: Dylan. Sent: April 30****th**** 11:51 PM**

** Yes.**

** From: Dylan. Received; April 30****th**** 11:51 PM**

** how did dat work out?**

** To: Dylan. Sent: April 30****th**** 11:52 PM**

** Not so good -_-**

** From: Dylan. Received; April 30****th**** 11:53 PM**

** wat happened? :(**

** To: Dylan. Sent: April 30****th**** 11:54 PM**

**It was unrequited… completely unrequited.**

** From: Dylan. Received; April 30****th**** 11:54 PM**

** dat sucks :(**

** To: Dylan. Sent: April 30****th**** 11:55 PM**

** Sucks is an understatement.**

** From: Dylan. Sent: April 30****th**** 11:55 PM**

** dat bad?**

** To: Dylan. Sent: April 30****th**** 11:56 PM**

** Try: most painful thing I've ever had to go through.**

** From: Dylan. Sent: April 30****th**** 11:57 PM**

** wow. well, whoever they were, its their loss :)**

I blushed, my breathing hitched and the butterflies had a field day.

**To: Dylan. Sent: April 30****th**** 11:58 PM**

** LOL, thanks :)**

** From: Dylan. Sent: April 30****th**** 11:58 PM**

** met anyone new since?**

I stared at the text. _Yes. You. You're so adorable and sweet and I want you so badly._

**To: Dylan. Sent: May 1****st**** 12:00 AM**

**Possibly. But I'm too scared to get my heart broken again.**

I pressed "Send" hesitantly.

**From: Dylan. Sent: May 1****st**** 12:01 AM**

** i understand :)**

I decided to be brave and ask a question of my own.

** To: Dylan. Sent: May 1****st**** 12:02 AM**

** :) How bout you?**

I waited five minutes. Ten minutes. Twenty minutes. No response. I fell asleep confused and frustrated.

* * *

The song is _Fallin' For You_ by Colbie Caillat.

So I'm watching Spring Awakening online as I'm writing this, so I decided to throw in a little detail involving the best. Broadway musical. Ever.

So… review? You guys have been amazing, so far. And in the next chapter, things will start to get… interesting ;D

_Ohhhh, you're gonna be wounded. Ohhhh, I'm gonna be your wound…_


	6. Hope

I have nothing to say, besides THANKS! Like, SO MUCH. You guys are amazing. So, without further a due…

**

* * *

Hope**

"Sup, faggot?"

_Splat!_

I cringed as the cold bits of ice began to drip down my body.

"Hey, what the _fuck?!_" Dylan yelled down the hallway. But Karovsky and his Neanderthal friends had already disappeared around the corner.

I sighed. "That's a slushy facial."

"That's crazy!" he exclaimed. "Here, let's get you fixed up before it ruins your clothes."

He winked and pulled me into the boy's bathroom. Thankfully, it was empty, and Dylan started gathering paper towels and running the faucet right away.

"I had to do this for Hannah twice yesterday," he told as he wet the paper towel. "I already feel like an expert."

I chuckled. "Mercedes usually does this for me."

Dylan paused. "You're okay with me helping you, right?"

_Oh yeah, perfectly okay. More than okay, actually. Oh my God, please, go right ahead._

I nodded. "Yeah, sure."

My skin tingled as he ran the paper towel down my cheek. My eyes fell shut as he brushed it slowly over my brow, downward, getting lost in the sensation. He made me feel loved, cared for, even if it was all just in my imagination. It was a feeling I hadn't felt since my mom died. As he ran his fingers through my hair, my body responded naturally and I prayed that he wouldn't notice. Dylan's hands were so gentle, so sweet and I longed for them for them to wander around my body, touching way more than just my hair. I realized these thoughts really weren't helping my situation, or the fit of my jeans, so I took a deep, shaky breath and tried to push them out of my mind.

"You okay?" he asked me. "You're shaking."

"Yeah, uh, the ice is cold," I managed to utter out.

"Well, your shirt is drenched, but your hair's all fixed."

"Shit!" I sprung up from the sink to find my Calvin Klein vest soaked through with purple liquid.

"Hold on," Dylan quickly removed his plain black hoodie and handed it to me. "Go take that off and put this on. I know it's not your usual style, but at least you won't be all wet."

_I'm sorry, what?!_

"Really?" my voice sounded even high pitched than usual.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," he said. "I just don't want you to be cold."

My heart melted. But next came the task of undressing myself right in front of Dylan. If the scenario were different, I wouldn't mind at all, but the reality was that we were in a bathroom at school and all he was doing was helping me clean up after being slushied. I had always been self conscious about my body – it was too pale and skinny, and nothing like I imagined would be under Dylan's _Star Trek _T-shirt. Hesitantly, I removed the vest, then my white undershirt, folded them neatly and tucked them in my bag. I could feel his eyes boring into my skin, and I just wanted to hide. The hoodie was soft and warm and smelled like him – laundry detergent, sugar cookies and teenage boy. Now, a tiny part of me was sorta glad I got slushied.

"It's so soft," I said blushing.

"Haha yeah," he laughed. "Just give it back to me tomorrow, it's my favorite hoodie."

I nodded. Dylan smiled. There was a brief, pleasant pause.

"So you ready to go?" he said, nodding towards the exit.

"Wait!" I reached into my bag and pulled out my powder and hairspray. I quickly fixed myself up and checked my reflection. Perfect.

"Now I'm ready."

"Hold on, you got a little… here," Dylan stepped forward, coming so close to me that I could feel his breath. I was sure he could hear my heart beating. He slowly reached up his hand and ever-so-lightly brushed my bangs to the side. He kept it there for a while before slowly bringing it down and smiling. "There."

I could barely breathe. I couldn't take it. "I uh… I gotta go. I told Mercedes I would meet her and… I'll see you in glee club. Thanks again."

And with that, I grabbed my bag and ran.

* * *

I leaned against the wall outside the choir room with my eyes shut, replaying the scene over and over again in my mind. I could still feel his fingers on my forehead, his hot breath on my face. I just lost it. Well, I almost lost it. I could've lost it if I hadn't escaped at the very last minute. The feeling of him so close to me was captivating, and I might've done something I would definitely regret. After all, he was not, by any means, trying to caress my face or anything like that. He was just fixing my hair, and that was all. That was all it would ever be.

The rest of glee club had already gathered outside the choir room, waiting patiently for Mr. Schue. He usually wasn't late, and Rachel had started to complain loudly. I rolled my eyes. Soon, we heard the speedy clicking of Ms. Pillsbury's heels as the rushed down the hallway. After her brief disappearance a few months back, she became sort of like Mr. Schue's assistant.

"Where's Mr. Schue?" Rachel demanded as the guidance counselor unlocked the door and led us all inside.

"He had to leave early," she answered.

"Why?" said Puck.

"That's confidential information, Mr. Puckerman," she said, but I heard Quinn whisper "Divorce court."

"So what have you guys been working on?" Ms. Pillsbury asked when we were all seated.

"So far, we've worked on 'I'm Yours', 'Respect', and 'Livin' on a Prayer'," Rachel spoke for the entire club.

"Okay, uh, you guys wanna show me one of those?" she asked.

Rachel stood up. "Certainly. I'm Yours from the top, everyone!"

We all groaned.

"Oh, come on!" she cried. "We need as much practice as we can get!"

"We don't really know it that well," said Mercedes. "And we still need to figure out what Artie's gonna do with his wheelchair."

"Okay, well, why don't we do an open mic type thing?" Ms. Pillsbury suggested. "Anyone wanna come up and perform?"

Across the room, Dylan raised his hand hesitantly. "I've got something."

"Great! Come on up!"

He shuffled up to the front of the room, hands shoved in his pockets. It was the longest I had ever seen him go without smiling, and it broke my heart. I just wanted to go up and hug him as he nonchalantly grabbed a guitar from the corner.

"So, uh, this is kind of a strange song choice, but I'm not gonna lie, it's one of my favorites and it really describes what I'm going through right now."

Without further a due, he started strumming. I watched his rainbow wristband move up and down with his hand, too afraid to look at his face.

_I like the way you sound in the morning_

_We're on the phone and without a warning_

_I realize your laugh is the best sound I have ever heard_

_I like the way I can't keep my focus_

_I watch you talk, you didn't notice_

_I hear the words but all I can think is we should be together_

Taylor Swift? Sure, she was a great artist, a bit pitchy in her live performances but definitely a personal favorite of mine, despite being classified as "country music", but… Taylor Swift? She was the last person I'd expect Dylan to be covering. The key was taken down a couple steps, and he added his own little runs, so it fit him perfectly. He was a natural performer.

_Every time you smile, I smile_

_And every time you shine, I'll shine for you_

_Whoa, I'm feeling you baby_

_Don't be afraid to jump then fall_

_Jump then fall into me_

_Baby, I'm never gonna leave you_

_Say that you wanna be with me too_

_Cause Imma stay through it all_

_So jump then fall_

I was sure it was just my wishful imagination, but it felt like Dylan was looking right at me. He kept looking up through his long eyelashes, nervously facing my general direction. But it was just my imagination, right?

_Well, I like the way your hair falls in your face_

_You got the keys to me, I love each dimple on your face_

_I've never been so wrapped up, honey_

_I like the way you're everything I've ever wanted_

_I had time to think it over_

_And all I can say is come closer_

_Take a deep breath and jump then fall into me_

Whoa, lyric change. I knew the song well enough to know that "dimple" was actually "freckle". Whoever this girl was that he was singing about must have dimples. How nice. A cute little dimpled couple. I scowled.

_The bottom's gonna drop out from under our feet_

_I'll catch you, I'll catch you_

_When people say things that bring you to your knees_

_I'll catch you_

_The time is gonna come when you're so mad you could cry_

_But I'll hold you though the night until you smile_

He paused for a brief second, quickly looked my way, smiled, and went on.

_Whoa, I need you baby_

_Don't be afraid to jump then fall_

_Jump then fall into me_

_Baby, I'm never gonna leave you_

_Say that you wanna be with me too_

_Cause I'm gonna stay through it all_

_So jump then fall_

_Jump then fall, baby_

_Jump then fall into me_

_Into me_

What… what if Dylan _was_ looking at me? What if he was actually singing about me? What if he _did_ like me the way I liked him? It wasn't _impossible_. Improbable, but not impossible. Of course, I couldn't get my hopes up. Not yet.

_And every time you smile, I smile_

_And every time you shine, I'll shine_

_And every time you're here, baby I'll show you_

_I'll show you you can jump then fall_

_Jump then fall_

_Jump then fall into me_

_Into me, yeah._

I felt something I hadn't felt in a while – a tiny flicker of hope.

* * *

Hope you liked it! Please keep reviewing, you guys make my life :)

-Marina x3


	7. Secret

I am SO SORRY! I was rushing to upload this and I accidentally uploaded chapter three again. Oops! Anyway, here's Chapter 7 :) Sorry about the delay.

**

* * *

Secret**

"You know what?" Hannah said one Wednesday afternoon when she, Mercedes and I were lounging around my room.

"Mmm?"

"You two have been so great to me, I think it's about time I invite you over for a sleepover."

I sat up. "Your mom would be okay with me sleeping over?"

She gave me a puzzled look. "You're… gay, aren't you?"

My stomach flopped. "How do you know that?"

Hannah slowly eyed me from hear to two, then scoffed. "Must I elaborate?" She waved her hand at my bright green Marc Jacobs sweater.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, touché."

"She's right, ya know," Mercedes peeped up from behind her Sidekick. She had been in a pissy mood all day. "Anyone who doesn't know you're gay just by looking at you is pretty damn stupid."

I snorted. "Please, Mercedes, you were the one who threw a rock at my windshield because I didn't want to date you."

"That doesn't count! I was brainwashed by Cheerios!"

"You guys are weird," Hannah mumbled from the floor. "But I love you anyway. So, whaddaya say? Saturday night? My place?"

* * *

I tingled with excitement as I packed my suitcase on Saturday evening. I knew it was unfair to Hannah, but the only reason I was so eager to spend the night at her house was because Dylan also lived in that house. I hoped that somewhere along the course of the night I could figure out what was going on between us once and for all.

I stood back to take inventory: Blue silk pajamas from Calvin Klein; black skinny jeans and a blue knee-length form-fitting sweater for the next day; electric toothbrush and organic toothpaste; hairspray; mousse; my bag of cosmetics; my special Tempurpedic pillow and lastly the quilt my mom made me when I was little.

I closed it up and loaded it into my car. I was hoping to get there early so I could talk to Dylan, but when I got there I was that Mercedes had already pulled into the driveway.

"There you are!" Hannah chirped as I answered the door. She glanced down at my Louis Vuitton suitcase. "What, you moving in?"

I glared at her, but mentally praised her for her wit.

"Hey, Kurt!" Mercedes ran up to hug me.

"Put your stuff on the couch and let me show you around," said Hannah eagerly.

The Katz residence was small and cozy, with old fashioned furniture like I would find at my grandmother's house. The couches and armchairs all had matching red flowered upholstery. The walls were white, along with every single table and chair. Flower pots lined the shelves, along with antique statues and framed photographs of mini Hannahs and adorable mini Dylans.

In the kitchen, Mrs. Katz was hard at work. She was a tall, pudgy woman with long brown curls, red cheeks and clothes tat made her look like she should be sitting at Woodstock in '69. She waved quickly before going back to her cook book, seeming completely lost.

Upstairs, Hannah's room was cute and girly, with green walls, a pink carpet (Two colors that go GREAT together!), a collection of stuffed animals on her top shelf, and lots of fluffy pillows on her four-poster bed. The wall above it displayed a vast collection of Playbills. I gaped.

"Yeah," she sighed, noticing my amazement. "I've been collecting since I was eight."

"Have you seen all of these?" Mercedes asked. "You know, on Broadway?"

"A few," Hannah replied. "Most of them I bought on eBay."

"What was your first show?" I asked.

Hannah's face went blank, and I had a feeling I was trespassing into an uneasy topic.

"RENT," she replied with a laugh. "I was seven. I didn't get anything that was going on, but my dad wanted to see it, so.... I lost the Playbill I got when I saw it, but I got this one on eBay last year, finally."

She stared up at the framed RENT Playbill, covered in little signatures. Hannah blinked and forced a smile. "Anyway…"

"Where's Dylan?" I ventured.

"At work," she said, plopping down on her bed. "He got a weekend job at Sam Ash. Ya know, helping the ends meet."

"Oh," I said, trying to hide my disappointment.

"HAAAAANNAAAAH! Dinner!"

Hannah rolled her eyes. "My mom attempted to cook. Usually we order out of get microwavable stuff, but she wanted to make an effort tonight because we have company."

Mercedes shrugged. "Food is food. Let's eat!"

On the table, Mrs. Katz set out a big bowl of spaghetti with tomato sauce, a little dish of grated cheese, French rolls and Caesar salad. Surprisingly, it was decent, although I only tried the salad and the rolls, so to not break my diet.

"This is delicious, Mrs. Katz," said Mercedes. I nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, darling," she said smiling, then proceeded to tell us the same story about her cooking that Hannah had told us earlier.

"Your daughter's an amazing singer," I said, attempting to make conversation.

Hannah blushed. "I learned it all from her."

Mrs. Katz bowed her head. "Well, I did do some singing, you know, back in the day."

"Mom, please," Hannah rolled her eyes. "She was on Broadway."

I raised my eyebrows. How far did this family's epicness go? "Seriously?"

"I understudied a couple of times in A Chorus Line and West Side Story, but mostly I was a swing," she told.

"That's amazing," said Mercedes in awe.

"Well, those days are long gone," Mrs. Katz laughed. "Now I'm a music teacher. I used to have my own studio back in New York, but here I teach at the local elementary school.

Both Mercedes and I sat there with wide eyes. Hannah laughed.

"You guys are _so_ easily amused."

* * *

Mercedes had long been asleep, but Hannah and I lay awake, drowsy and giggling. A few minutes back, we heard Dylan creep upstairs and into his room, probably exhausted from his long day at work. A part of my hormonal, sleep deprived mind wanted to sneak in there and watch him sleep, but I quickly shook that thought out of my head. That would be _way_ too creepy-Edward-Cullen-stalkerish.

"Kurt?" Hannah mumbled.

"Mmm?"

"Tell me a secret."

"You already know my secret."

She peered down at me from her bed. "That's hardly a secret."

I glared at her. "I don't really have any other secrets." What was I supposed to hell her? 'I'm seriously crushing on your brother who just so happens to be sleeping in the next room'?

"I have a secret," she whispered.

"Spill."

"I stole my dad's credit card."

I snorted. "Yeah, right."

"I'm not kidding," she exclaimed. "I took down the number and now I use it to shop at expensive stores and when I need gum and stuff." I heard her shuffling in her sheets.

"Aren't you gonna get in trouble?"

"No. How can he get me in trouble if he doesn't know where I am?"

I was confused. "Where is he?"

"I dunno. Somewhere in New York, drinking and being too much of a dumbfuck to realize I'm spending all his money," she laughed. "You think we moved here cause we wanted to? No! My mom chose this cow town because she knew he wouldn't be able to find us."

I gulped. "Wow. I'm sorry."

"I don't need your pity." I couldn't see her face but her voice was icy cold. She was back to textbook Hannah.

There was a long, awkward silence. I proceeded to examine her bulletin board, covered in pictures of her and other people I assumed to be friends. My eyes fell on a particularly large one of her, Dylan, and a kid with shaggy brown hair, a lip piercing and a sailor hat.

"Hannah?"

"Mmm?"

"Who's the kid in the picture with you and Dylan? The one with the sailor hat?"

Hannah snorted. "Oh, that's Dylan's _boyfriend."_

A surge of relief and a punch in the stomach came at me simultaneously.

The good news: Dylan was gay. I had a chance.

The bad news: He was taken. Or course.

I couldn't believe it. Just when I thought he was in my grasp…

"Oh," I breathed, my voice wavering.

Hannah responded with a lout snore.

* * *

So… aww :( The next chapter will be better, I promise. Please make my day and review :D

**Shameless self promotion - **

Follow me on twitter to keep track of updates and stuff - www . twitter . com / marinazee

xoxo Marina! :)


	8. Midnight

Alright, I've kept you waiting long enough. Here is a short yet very important chapter :)

**

* * *

Midnight**

_The light was far too bright for such a late hour, and the vomit colored walls weren't helping at all. I forced my eyes open as I tried not to fall asleep, but after sitting in this giant chair that practically swallowed me all day long, I was starting to drift. But something kept me awake – the churning of my stomach, the nagging in the back of my head that told me something was terribly wrong. I looked up at the clock and wished I knew what the little hands were saying. We were scheduled to learn how to tell time in school that day, but my dad picked me up early, screaming at my teacher about an "emergency" and interrupting my doodling session. I didn't understand why he rushed me to the hospital though… I wasn't sick…_

_ I wanted to cry, but I couldn't._

_ I wanted to scream, but I couldn't._

_ I heard the door slam behind me and immediately pretended to be asleep. My dad would take away my sensible heels if he knew I was still awake. I heard him shuffle across the hall and then the creaking of the bench beneath him. Carefully, I opened one eye._

_ My dad shook with violent sobs. I had never seen him like this before. He sat up, eyes puffy and red, tear tracks down his cheeks. "Oh God, Millie. What am I gonna do? God, Millie, no. This isn't happening, not you Millie, not you…"_

_ He sobbed loudly, and by then, I had enough. I slid off the chair, landed with a thud, and slowly inched closer to him. I lay a tiny hand on his back._

_ "Daddy?"_

_ I was enclosed in his arms as he cried into my shoulder. My dad _never _hugged me. My dad _never_ cried. Tears threatened to fall, but I wouldn't let them. I had to be strong for him._

_ I didn't even need to ask – I knew what happened._

I woke up with a start. It was one of those moments where you felt like you were falling in your dream, then you "land" with a thud in your bed. Except this was not my bed, it was the air mattress on Hannah's floor. I exhaled loudly and rolled over. My bangs stuck to my forehead and I was covered in sweat. My breathing was still uneven. I had tears in my eyes. I was a mess.

I hadn't revisited my mother's death in a very long time. My subconscious only took me there after disastrous occurrences in my life. I hated it. Nothing was worse than that day. It always took me so long to recover.

Then I remembered – the stupid kid in the sailor hat. Dylan's boyfriend. I gagged.

My throat was dry and scratchy, and I was in dire need of water. Carefully, I snuck out of bed and down the stairs, into the safety of the non-creaky tile-floored kitchen. I searched around for glasses for a good whole minute, then finally found them all in the dishwasher. It was so bizarre being on someone else's house by myself, especially since I had never been there before. I leaned against the counter as I drank, trying to clear everything out of my mind. Just quiet, just zen, just…

"Midnight snack?"

I jumped and dropped the glass. Thank goodness it was plastic, so it didn't shatter, but the water spilled everywhere nonetheless. Dylan leaned against the door frame, a cocky smile playing at his lips.

"Shit." I looked around frantically for a paper towel, feeling like an idiot. Why did I always act like an idiot in front of him?

I felt a light hand on my back and I froze.

"It's alright, don't worry about it," he said sweetly. "I got it."

I couldn't help but stare as he bent down to mop up the water. He was wearing black sweatpants that showed off his perfect little behind and a wife beater that I could see his abs through. I tried not to gawk. I tried to remember that there was some lucky bastard with a sailor hat out there who claimed the title "Dylan Katz's boyfriend"… but naturally, it was an epic fail.

"There ya go," he said, tossing the wet paper towel in the trash. "All better."

"Thanks." I smiled.

"So, what _are_ you doing down here?" Dylan asked, leaning against the counter next to me. "You're all sweaty."

I turned scarlet. "Well… yeah… Hannah gave me too many sheets."

"That darned sister!" he joked, laughing.

"Trying to suffocate the guest!" I added. We giggled.

"You're lucky you're an only child."

"Haha, yeah." I said, but immediately felt bad. "I mean, not that I don't like Hannah, I mean, she's great. You're whole family's great, actually. Your mom's really nice, and you, you're great… you're funny and sweet and I'm so glad you asked me how to get to Mr. Schue's room that day, because otherwise I never would've…"

Dylan turned to face me, and I wanted to hide. I was already bright red from all the crap that had just spilled out of my mouth, and his extremely close proximity wasn't making it any better. My heart was beating out of control. Damn, he really made me lose it.

"…met you."

He chuckled. "Has anyone ever told you you talk too much?"

"I, well… yeah, but it was never really – "

I was cut off by the sweet sensation of Dylan's lips against mine.

It took me a few seconds to register what was going on. It happened so fast, I didn't even see him lean in. My eyes bugged open like a deer in the headlights, but before I could return the kiss, he pulled away.

There was a brief, heavy silence. I stood there with my eyes wide open, waiting for someone to wake me up from this magnificent dream, but all I heard was –

"Oh, shit. I'm such an idiot, I –"

"No, no, no Dylan, I – I just wasn't expecting that."

"I'm sorry, Kurt, I didn't know what I was, I thought you were…"

I grabbed his hands. "No, Dylan, I… I really like you, but that was my first kiss and… what about your boyfriend?"

Dylan raised an eyebrow. "Boyfriend? My only boyfriend dumped me last year because he 'decided he wasn't gay anymore'. Bullshit, I know, but… what?"

"But Hannah said… the kid in the picture, with the sailor hat…"

"You mean Christofer Drew?"

"I'm sorry, who?"

"Christofer Drew," he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the word. "Also known as Never Shout Never, indie singer, plays ukelele… Me and Hannah went to his concert and took a picture with him. I'm like his biggest fan, so she teases me and calls him my boyfriend… but, no, Kurt, I like you. Like, a lot."

"Well, in that case –"

I flung my arms around his neck and brought him down to kiss me. I had no idea what I was doing, being that this was my first kiss (Well, technically second, but first _active_ kiss), so I followed what they did in the movies. I parted my lips to let Dylan's tongue through, moaning into his mouth. Nothing could've prepared me for how incredible it felt. His hands tightened around my waist, pulling me closer. He pushed me back against the counter and I could feel his entire body press against mine. It was magical. I never wanted it to end.

But sadly, good things never last. I heard footsteps on the stairs and pulled away. "Someone's coming."

We quickly tried to regain our composure as Hannah stumbled into the kitchen.

"What're you two doing down here?"

"I'm just getting a glass of water," I said casually.

"And I'm, uh, studying…" Dylan stuttered. "Couldn't sleep. Reading some of mom's books… in the kitchen. Where the food is."

Hannah raised an eyebrow. "Right…"

Dylan and I exchanged a knowing glance.

"Alright, well, I'm going back to bed," she announced as she grabbed a glass of water. "I was just thirsty. Come on, Kurt."

I followed Hannah to the stairs.

"Night, Kurt," Dylan called, winking.

"Night." I smiled.

If I was dreaming, then I never wanted to wake up. Ever.

_

* * *

Haha, scared ya, didn't I? But don't worry, this story is only just beginning :)_

By the way, I am now very optimistic that Kurt and his boyfriend will get an on-screen kiss on the show after watching this week's episode of Ugly Betty. CUTENESS!

Alright, please keep reviewing! I love you guys :)


	9. Out

Thanks for your reviews :) Now let's get this show on the road!

**

* * *

Out**

I was giddy as I drove to school on Monday morning. I was still having trouble believing what had happened on that precious night - Dylan kissed me. Dylan said he liked me. It was just so unreal. I had no idea what awaited me in school that day, being that Dylan was still asleep when I left on Sunday morning, but I had a really good feeling about it.

"I've longed to discover something as true as this iiiiiiis," I sang along to the RENT soundtrack as I pulled into the McKinley High parking lot. "Sooooo with a thousaaand sweet kisseeeees, when you're cold and you're lonely..."

"Why are you all smiley? Mercedes asked me when I waltzed through the doors, smiling and humming.

I stopped mid-twirl. "What, can't a boy be happy without being questioned?"

She gave me the same look as she gave Rachel when she used an unusual word. "Alright then..."

And sure enough, Dylan was waiting right by my locker.

"Hey," I said, feeling the blood rush to my cheeks.

"Hi," he said smiling. "You look really cute today."

"Thanks," I said, blushing harder. "So do you."

We beamed at each other.

"So... um..." I began, breaking the silence. "Is this... are we... official?"

"If you want it to be... then yeah."

I took a moment to think about this. What if it was a joke? Was he actually going to be serious with me? Did he really like me as much as he said he did? The last thing I wanted was heartbreak all over again. "Do you want it to be?"

I could see the affection in his eyes. "So much." He brought his hand to my cheek. "Kurt... I don't know how to explain it, but... I like you more than anyone I've ever liked before. You're sweet, and adorable... and... you can trust me. I really, really want this. I won't break your heart."

And with that, my heart melted "I really like you too. And I trust you."

"So..." he cleared his throat. "Will you be my boyfriend?"

My stomach contorted in twenty different ways and the butterflies danced. Never in a million years did I see Dylan Katz asking me that very question.

"Yeah, I think I'd like that." I gave him a smug look. He smiled and lean in to kiss me.

I responded gently, closing my eyes and getting lost in his lips. But I quickly realized where we were and pushed him away.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I shrieked. "We're in school! People will see us!"

"So?"

"If anyone sees us, next thing you know we'll be in the dumpster," I explained, feeling bad about yelling at him. "You couldn't have pulled me into a closet or something first?" I quickly regretted my foolish choice of words.

Dylan chuckled. "The closet? Nahh, I'm never going back in there. Listen, Kurt... don't you think you need to... let go a bit? You're already quite, er, flamboyant with you outfits, which I love to death-"

"I'm not worried about me," I cut him off. "Everyone already knows I'm gay. I get slushied all the time. It's you. You're reputation is fine, and I don't want all that to start happening to you."

He took my hand. "I'll be fine, Kurt. I honesty don't care what other people think of me. I just wanna be with you, and if other people have a problem with that, then screw them."

I smiled and shook my head. "You're amazing."

"Yeah, I know," he tossed his hair jokingly. "You're not too shabby yourself. Now come on."

He snaked his arm around my waist and led me to Spanish. The odd stares came, but I was too preoccupied with the fact that I now had a boyfriend. Yes, a boyfriend! And that boyfriend wanted to be with me regardless of the slushie hurricane that would soon be coming his way. I smiled, burying my face in his shoulder and realizing I was happier then I had been in a very, _very_ long time.

* * *

As Dylan and I walked into the choir room hand in hand, each glee clubber had their own unique and equally amusing reaction. Rachel perked up and her mouth turned into a perfectly shaped "o". Finn looked confused, as usual. Quinn didn't seem to notice until Brittany turned to her and asked "Wait, does holding hands count as dating?" Santana looked annoyed. Artie and Tina exchanged a glance. Hannah looked smug, and Mercedes had her famous "Oh no he di-in't" face on.

"Oh look, faggot's got himself a boyfriend," Puck spat to Mike and Matt.

I tightened my grip on Dylan's hand and sat down.

"And to think, this is what the world has come to," he drawled on, and I tried my best to ignore him. Why the hell wouldn't Mr. Schue get off his phone and start the rehearsal already?

"So Hummel, how much did you have to pay him to go out with you?"

Dylan spun around. "If you don't shut the fuck up – "

"Oooh, emo kid's got claws!" Puck put on a mock girl's voice. "Hey, uh, we're starting to doubt your manliness, maybe the football team isn't the right place for you."

"Your lack of maturity, Noah, is astounding," I fought back.

"Okay, everyone, places for 'Respect'. Let's start from measure 33."

I thanked my lucky stars for Mr. Schuester and sighed. This was by no means going to be easy.

I felt a note being pushed into my hand.

**you busy this afternoon? if not, come over to my house. it's neaderthal free, i promise x3**

I smiled up at him. He always how to make me feel better.

* * *

Okay, another short chapter. Sorry! The next one will be longer, I promise.

KEEP REVIEWING!

Oh, and of course I had to include the cliché Kurt/Boyfriend song, "I'll Cover You" from RENT :)


	10. Baby

Thanks for reviewing!

**

* * *

Baby**

"Does this mean I get to ride on your bike?" I asked as we shuffled out of the choir room.

"You bet," Dylan said, winking. "But you're gonna have to wear a helmet, even if it messed up your hair. Sorry, your safety comes first."

I fake whined and leaned against his shoulder. "Alright, lemme just call-"

"KURT! Get your fashionista ass over here _right now!"_

"- Mercedes." I slowly turned around, wincing. Mercedes looked absolutely terrifying as she marched my way with her hands on her hips, Hannah close behind.

"Kurt!" She yelled as she yanked me aside.

"Mercedes, you're scaring me."

"Since when are you hooking up with Mr. Emopants here?" she demanded.

"Well, hooking up isn't exactly the right ter-"

"You couldn't have bothered to tell your best friend?"

I sighed. "Mercedes, I'm sorry, it just happened this morning, I was gonna tell you but…" My voice trailed off.

And then, out of nowhere, Mercedes bursts out laughing. I stared at her, confused, and awkwardly chuckled along.

"Come here, you little…" she pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. "I am _so _ happy for you! Congrats!"

"Um… thanks?

"Go on with him, I'll take Hannah to my house. And my dad dropped off today so I'll drive your baby home."

"Okay thanks," I smiled, still a little confused, and tossed her my keys. She was the only person I trusted with my baby.

"See ya!" she called as she followed Hannah down the hallway. "Don't forget to text me the deets later!"

I shook my head as I waked back up to Dylan.

"You ready?"

"Yeah… wait a minute, don't you have football today?"

"Myeah," he said as we walked out into the May sunshine. "But I quit."

"What?" I stopped dead in my tracks. "Dylan, just because Puck-"

"This has nothing to do with Puck," he shot back. "The team just sucks. And I have more important things to worry about." He took my hand and I looked down sheepishly.

"Aww. But you look _sooo _cute in your uniform…" I ran my hand down his chest sweetly. His eyes fell shut and he sighed.

"Fine. I'll stay. For you," he said at last. "But I'm skipping today."

"I don't want you to get in trouble."

"You kidding me? Coach Tanaka wouldn't notice if half the team was missing. Now put on your helmet."

"It'll mess up my hair."

"Come on Kurt, I don't want you dying."

"I'm not gonna die, I promise."

"Baby, come on, put it on."

My heart stopped and my cheeks flushed pink. _He called me baby! _I snatched the helmet out of his hands.

"Fine." I put it on hesitantly. "But you're in charge of fixing it later."

"Oh, trust me," he said smugly as we mounted the bike. "This is nothing compared to how it'll look when I'm done with you."

* * *

"Moooooom?"

The house was quiet.

"I think she's on after-school duty today," said Dylan, slamming the door behind him and snaking his arm around my waist. "Which means we have the house to ourselves."

I started to giggle, but was cut off by his eager lips. I responded just as eagerly, standing on the tips of my toes for better access. Somehow, I found myself underneath him on the couch, both hands tight around his neck as our tongues battled fiercely. I moaned as he pulled away, only to bring his lips down to my neck. The combination of him kissing, sucking and biting my neck, as well as his wandering hands was proving to be too much for me.

"Oh God, Dylan, I-"

But it was too late. I lost it.

"Shit."

Dylan stared at me, wide-eyed, a smile playing at his lips. "Whoa. Did I do that?"

"Pleased with yourself, are you?"

"Fuck yeah!"

I smacked his hand, but found his arrogance beyond adorable. "You are _so_ full of yourself."

"You know you love it."

"Well, I'm not gonna argue with that." I kissed his cheek lightly. He chuckled.

"You hungry?"

"Yeah, kinda."

"Okay, lemme see what's in the kitchen."

I lay back down on the couch as Dylan disappeared into the kitchen. I was still having trouble breathing, and believing what had just happened. I pulled out my compact mirror from my pocket and took a look at my reflection. My neck was covered in little purple marks, and I thanked the Gods of cosmetics for cover-up, or else my dad would have my head. Dylan was right about my hair – it was strewn about in every direction from his fingers. As pothead-who-just-rolled-out-of-bed as it looked, I was somewhat proud of it. Nevertheless, I fixed it up with my hand and wondered what I was going to do about a change of pants.

"Here, I figured you needed these." And suddenly I was buried underneath a pair of black skinny jeans and boxer shorts.

I snorted. "You read my mind."

"Of course," he tossed his hair out of his face. "You might have to fold them at the bottom, but other than that they should fit."

I chuckled and made quick work of changing. When I came back, I found Dylan leaning against the front door.

"So there's like, no food in the fridge, do you wanna go out?"

I shrugged. "Sure… but there aren't that many places we can go like… 'together' together, if you know what I mean."

"Don't worry, I'll keep my hands to myself."

I lifted one eyebrow. "Oh really?"

"Well, I'll try."

"I know you will, but how do you know _I _will?" I ran my hand along his shoulder.

"… then I guess we'll have to starve."

"That doesn't sound too appealing."

"Come on!" Dylan slung his arm around my waist and pulled me out the door. I giggled.

* * *

I had to bite my lip to keep from squealing as I fell back against the front door that night. I got home at precisely 9:30 PM, right before the time my dad would start calling to make sure I wasn't dead. Dinner with Dylan included salads, tossing cherry tomatoes into each other's mouths, feeding each other desert (which I hadn't eaten in like a year), sneaky hand holding and conversations about pretty much nothing at all. It had to be the most fun I'd ever had in… forever. I was beyond giddy. But there were still two things I had to do.

"Dad?"

"In the kitchen!"

I dropped my stuff on the couch and found my dad eating a huge club sandwich on the kitchen table.

"Out with Mercedes?" he asked as I sat down next to him.

"Actually… no," I began hesitantly. I took a deep breath. "I was with my boyfriend."

My dad's reaction was as expected. He choked on the sandwich as his eyes bugged out. He broke out coughing as I ran to get him a glass of water. He drank quickly, his eyes still wide open. After a while, he was back to normal.

"So… who is this kid?"

"His name is Dylan… he's Hannah's older brother, you know the girl who's here all the time that's not Mercedes?"

He nodded. "How long has this been going on?"

"A day," I said. "But it's going really well. I really like him dad. A lot."

"Does he like you as much as you like him?"

"Pretty sure, yeah…"

"Okay then," he sighed and rubbed his forehead. "You weren't… doing anything… were you?"

I chuckled. "No dad, I promise."

"Good. I wanna meet him." My stomach twisted at the thought. "Now go to bed, you have school tomorrow."

"Dad, it's only 9:35."

"Then… go upstairs and… read or something."

I laughed and shook my head.

Up in my room, I settled into bed with my MacBook to see what the buzz was on Facebook. For starters, Dylan requested to be "In a Relationship" with me, which I gladly accepted. People who had a problem with it could go screw themselves. Mercedes had also littered my Wall with "go on aim rite now! i want the deets!"

**whoaitskurt: **I am so happy!

**heyysoulsista**: ahhh tell me tell me tell me!

**whoaitskurt**: Well, he called me baby

**heyysoulsista**: NO WAY!

**whoaitskurt**: Yess. And I got to ride on his bike.

**heyysoulsista**: his supafly harley davidson bike?? :O

**whoaitskurt**: Yup. And we went out to dinner. It was amazing

**heyysoulsista**: oomg i'm so happy for youuu

**whoaitskurt**: Thanks :) You brought my car home, right?

**heyysoulsista**: no, i left it in the street. OF COURSE I BROUGHT IT HOME!

**whoaitskurt**: LOL thanks again :)

**heyysoulsista**: np. And heyy, just cuz you got yourself a man doesn't mean you can be ignoring me, k?

**whoaitskurt**: Of course not! Mercedes, you're my best friend, that's never gonna change.

**heyysoulsista: **friends are forevaa, boys are whatevaa

**whoaitskurt**: Well, I wouldn't say "Whatever"

**heyysoulsista**: you know what i mean!

**whoaitskurt**: LOLOLOL 3 3 3

I stared at my computer screen. I had the best best friend in the world, the sweetest boyfriend, a dad who cared about me, and all the latest fashions. What else could a boy ask for?

* * *

A longer chapter cause the others were so short. Please review! :)


	11. Invasion

I'm SO sorry! It's been forever. My life is crazy right now, but I made some time to update!

* * *

**Invasion**

"Kurt!" I turned around to see Tina speeding down the hallway. "Dylan's looking for you. He said it's urgent!"

Two weeks had passed since we first started dating and my dad was pushing me to invite him over to dinner. So far, we've kept our relationship on the down-low, with the exception of glee club. We would always receive a chorus of "Aww"s from Brittany, Tina and Mercedes whenever we even remotely interacted with each other, and, if I was being honest, it was starting to get annoying. But I was flattered nonetheless.

I raised an eyebrow at my friend. "Where is he?"

"By your locker," she said, biting her lip. She leaned in closer.  
"You guys make a really cute couple, by the way."

I blushed slightly. "Thanks, Tina. How's it going with Artie?"

"Amazing!" She grinned so widely she almost radiated sunshine. "Now go find Dylan!"

I smiled and sprinted off down the hallway.

"Hey, there you are!" Dylan cried as I rounded the corner.

"Hey, Tina said you were looking for me. What's up?"

"I wanted to make sure you were okay."

I stared at him in confusion. "Why wouldn't I be okay?"

The most adorable "huh?" look came upon his face. "You mean, you didn't see?"

"See what?"

Dylan grabbed my hand and dragged me down the hall towards my locker. On the front, in bug bold graffiti, were the three letters I hated the most in the world –

FAG

As much as I didn't want to admit it, it hurt, like a lot. However, I still had to put my bitch-face on and act like I was totally above it.

"Seriously? I _just_ washed my locker like, last week!"

"Kurt, you can be sure that I'm gonna beat the shit out of whoever did this cause no one does this to you, baby, I can't believe how fucking stupid –"

"Dylan…"

"-and ignorant and just plain disgusting people here are, and you can rest assured, I'm gonna-"

"_Dylan."_

"-make their lives miserable because you know what? It's also really inconsiderate to the janitors, you know they have to clean this shit up cause no one, _no one, _fucks with Kurt Hummel –"

"_**Dylan!**__" _I grabbed his wrists then clamped my hands around his face to make him look at me.

"-but me."

"Okay, are you done now?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Good," I said, looking over my shoulder to make sure no one was around before placing a chaste kiss on his lips.

"I'm sorry… I just get really protective of the people I care about."

My heart melted. "Well, that's adorable, but honestly, I don't care. People have been doing this crap to be for ages, and after a while the effect just kinda wears off."

Dylan shook his head. "You're incredible, baby. And you're right. You shouldn't care what other people think. That's the motto I've been living by my whole life… but when it comes to people bullying you, I… I…"

I smiled and leaned in to give him a sweet, tender kiss. A few giggling freshman passed by, along with two football players screaming "See you in hell, faggots!" To that, Dylan responded with the single-finger salute, without even moving his lips from mine. I giggled against his mouth.

"Would this be a really bad time for me to ask you to come over for dinner this weekend?" I asked when we finally pulled apart. "My dad really wants to meet you."

Dylan chuckled. "Sounds good to me."

"You're gonna have to keep your hands to yourself all night, you know," I teased him, running my hands down his chest. "My dad won't tolerate any PDA."

"Hmm," he hissed mischievously. "Then I'm gonna have to get it all out of my system now, won't I?"

"Actually, no," I said matter-of-factly. "Now, we're late for glee rehearsal."

* * *

Dylan lounged on my bed as I scurried around my room, attempting to tidy it up before my dad got home. Dylan arrived an hour and a half earlier than planned, while my dad was still at work and my room was still a mess. Naturally, Dylan didn't care at all, and his presence automatically put me in a good mood,

"You know, I honestly don't care how clean your room is, right?" he said for the third time, chuckling.

"Yes, I know," I replied, straightening a few pairs of shoes in my closet. "But this room isn't gonna clean itself, now is it?"

He rolled his eyes and went back to his copy of Rolling Stone. I continued to organize my dresser while humming absentmindedly under my breath. "_Let's play a love game, play a love game, nanana love? nanana fame? Are you in the game? Doin' the love game. Let's have some fun, this beat is sick. I wanna take a ride on your disco stick…"_

I was started by the shrill laugh that came from across the room. I turned bright red. "What?"

"I know what you're singing," he said slyly.

I shrugged innocently, feeling embarrassed. "So what? I like Lady GaGa."

Dylan laughed and shook his head. "Has anyone ever told you that you're the cutest thing to ever walk the earth?"

"My mom," I confessed, piling up my copies of Vogue, People and Entertainment Weekly.

"Oh really?" he said. "And I'll be meeting her tonight, I assume."

My stomach dropped, and my face must've too because Dylan immediately looked confused.

"Sadly, no," I said finally, going back to my magazines. "She died in a car crash when I was six."

There was a painfully long silence.

"Oh. I'm so sorry," he muttered at last.

"It's fine, forget it." The only sound in the room was the rustling of paper as I organized my school notes. I hated it. Yet I had nothing to say.

"I can relate, ya know," he said, piercing through the quietness once more. "My mom moved us here because we needed to get away from my dad. My whole life, he's been distant. As I got older, I started to realize how horrible he was. He would always stay out all night, drinking and sleeping with other women. I don't know why my mom put up with him for so long. I guess she needed the money… I mean, he got paid a lot for whatever job he did during the day, so… anyway, when he found out I was gay, he said he was gonna kill me… I guess my mom took that as the signal to leave…" Dylan stared off into space, but he didn't look sad. Oh no, he looked angry… furious even. I was at a loss for words.

"Wow, I… I'm sorry." I felt like an idiot. "Hannah started to tell me the other night, but I wasn't sure if she was serious or if she was just…"

"Being Hannah?" Dylan finished.

I chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah."

He shook his head. "Yeah, Hannah has a tendency to be… melodramatic. Actually, that's an understatement, but yeah, I see how you would think that… Unfortunately, this one is true."

I had no idea what to say. I stared down at my Gucci shoes, shuffling them uncomfortably. I looked back up at my boyfriend and found him smiling weakly. My wet eyes met his, and he opened his arms, inviting me for a pity hug. I gladly complied, joining him on my bed and letting him cradle me. He ran his hands up and down my back as I buried my face in my neck. We held each other, and I felt safe. Home.

"To our screwed up families," he said, kissing the top of my head.

"Screwed up indeed," I replied, pulling away. I felt his hand tighten around my waist.

"How long till your dad gets home?"

"About an hour, why?"

"I say we take advantage of this rare alone time…" he pulled me closer and I almost let him, trying to forget that I had three Whole Foods shopping bags full of groceries that needed to become casserole waiting for me in the kitchen.

"I'd love to," I whispered, pressing my forehead against his. "But I still have to make dinner."

Dylan pouted. "Aww."

"Yeah, I know," I pouted back at him and he giggled. "Wanna help me cook?"

He scoffed. "I can't cook for my life, but I'd love to watch."

I raised an eyebrow. "Watch me… cook?"

"Yeah. Somehow, you manage to make everything adorable."

I blushed, and somewhat regretted not agreeing to "take advantage of the alone time." "Fine. But you're still gonna hand me ingredients."

* * *

I felt the collar of my polo stretch as Dylan trailed his lips down my neck. He had succeeded in distracting me while I cleaned the kitchen, which led to the intense makeout session we were now having on my kitchen table. I had my arms firmly around his neck as I straddled him, his hands wandering my sides and his mouth constantly finding new places to latch onto. I brought my fingers up to grab a fistful of his hair, causing him to moan and push up against me. The rush from the friction was inexplicable. This was the farthest we'd gone in our two and a half weeks of dating. I pushed down against him again, both of us moaning simultaneously and crushing our lips back together once more. I could feel a familiar feeling beginning to stir as I all sane thoughts began to slip away. I could feel just how much Dylan wanted me as he drove me closer and closer to the edge.

And then the oven beeped.

"Shiiiit," I whined, sliding off his lap and over to the stove, taking out the casserole, pot roast and home baked biscuits.

"Damn, now I'm hungry." Dylan paced up behind me as I heard the front door clicking open. But instead of hearing my dad's usual "KURT?", I heard multiple voiced. Three, to be exact.

"Relax, Burt, I'm sure the kid's perfectly fine. Kurt's a smart boy, it's not like he's gonna bring home… oh, I dunno, some sort of hoodlum."

This voice was unmistakeable. My mind raced. How _dare_ he bring her here? Tonight was about _him_ meeting _my_ boyfriend! And if she was here, with my dad, then the other male voice must belong to –

"Finn?" I slammed the oven door shut as Dylan questioned the tall boy in the doorframe. I spun around ever so slowly, almost afraid of what I would find.

My dad and Mrs. Hudson stood in the center of the living room, removing their spring jackets and whispering avidly amongst themselves. Finn looked confused and uncomfortable as ever as he eyed my boyfriend. I chose to ignore Frankenteen for now and go straight to the culprit.

"Dad?" I marched past Dylan and Finn and straight up to my confused-looking father. "What the hell?"

"What the hell what?"

I turned to Mrs. Hudson. "Excuse me." I grabbed my dad by the arm and pulled him out into the hall.

"Kurt, what are you doing?"

"What are _you_ doing dad" The blank look on his face told me to elaborate. "You were supposed to meet my boyfriend tonight. What did you bring her here for?"

"I thought it would be, er, appropriate if she got to meet him too, you know, provide a second opinion on this kid."

"You're scared." I shook my head, not able to believe any of this.

"What? No-"

"Yes you are. The idea of me having a boyfriend terrifies you. You just brought her here so you wouldn't have to face him alone." I cursed the tears that were starting to well up in my eyes. I had anticipated this night for so long, and it had been going perfectly, until now. I had no idea how I was going to get through this with Mrs. Hudson's, or even worse, Finn's uninvited company.

"Now wait a minute Kurt, you're overreacting."

"No, I'm not! And why is _he_ here? Especially after that whole…situation! There's absolutely no reason for _him_ to be here."

"I thought you were over that!"

"Does it matter? It still doesn't warrant him intruding."

"It's not his fault, okay? Carole thought that since he's in Glee with you two, he could be a sort of… moderator. You know, like a big brother."

That was the last straw. The dam was threatening to break as I scoffed and shook my head.

"This isn't a game," my voice wavered. "he isn't my brother, and she _certainly_ isn't my mother."

And with that, I stomped back into the kitchen and grabbed Dylan by the sleeve.

"Whoa, where we going?" he questioned as I tugged him away.

"I don't know. I don't care. Just far away from here."

I could've sworn I could still feel the front door vibrating from the slam as we drove down the road.

* * *

Kay, this chapter is kinda all over the place. Oh well. Sorry for the cliffy ;D Review please!

I'm typing this as I watch Power of Madonna for the third time. WE ONLY GOT FOUR MINUTES TO SAVE THE WOOORLD! Cheerio!Kurt is sexy ;D


	12. More

Okay so for the past hour or so, I've had this blank Word document open, but I kept procrastinating and watching the fabulousity that is Darren Criss singing "Granger Danger". He auditioned for Glee. He needs to be cast as Kurt's boyfriend. He's the PERFECT Dylan! He's got some serious guitar chops! (For those of you who actually know who he is, wouldn't you agree?) ;D Anyway, on with the chapter…

**

* * *

More**

I repeated the basics of driving over and over again in my head in order to distract myself from reality. _Keep your foot on the gas, adjust the clutch, bear right, read the signs, repeat._ Next to me, Dylan was breathing heavily, and I knew if I listened close enough I could hear the gears turning in his brain, trying to think of something to say to make me come to my senses. Any minute now…

"Kurt…"

There it was!

I made sure to ignore it and keep driving, but I knew it would be coming again.

"Kurt, can we talk about this?"

_No. Right now I'm pissed and I'm driving and I also want to see how long I can actually resist your cute little attempts at getting my attention._

"Kurt, please…"

I stood my ground.

"Okay, don't make me start singing."

_Dammit!_

Reluctantly, I pulled over, squeeing internally at my boyfriend's adorable stubbornness.

We sat the in silence at the side of the deserted road, both waiting for the other to say something. Finally, Dylan spoke, sputtering.

"What the hell just happened?"

I sighed. "My dad is officially the most insensitive person in Western Ohio."

Dylan chuckled. "Don't even start, you love your dad more than like…anything."

He was right. Why did he always have to be right? My dad was just trying to include his girlfriend's family in his son's life. And for the most part, I liked Mrs. Hudson, and Finn only meant well. I cursed my oversensitivity. I was about to apologize to Dylan when he asked me the worst possible question –

"Why do you act so weird around Finn?"

I froze.

"I mean, you should know him pretty well, he's practically your step brother, but you always act so… I dunno…" He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

I stared out my window, praying that Dylan would still like me after I told him the story.

"Dylan, you're my boyfriend, and I really_ really_ care about you, so I don't want there to be any secrets between us."

He still looked nervous, but nodded for me to continue, so I did. I told him everything. He listened intently, and surprisingly smiled when I was finished.

"That's it?"

I nodded, wringing my hands that were in desperate need of moisturizer.

"I totally get it," he said, chuckling, though I could still sense some discomfort in his voice. "I see how that can be awkward, but you're dad meant well. And we can plan another dinner with your dad for next week, kay?"

I smiled. "Sounds like a plan." I removed my seatbelt and moved closer to plant a kiss on his cheek. He always made everything better. I had no idea how I had gotten through sixteen years, almost seventeen, without him.

"And just to be clear – the whole thing with Finn – _way_ over." I gagged for effect.

"I believe you," he said, returning the kiss. I climbed over the glove compartment and into his seat. He licked his lips as I moved to straddle him, probably wondering how I had gone from pissed to sad to horny so fast. I didn't know either, quite frankly. All I did know was that he made me feel better, as he always did, and I wanted to show him how much I appreciated it. Also, our kitchen-table-makeout-session was cut _way_ too short.

"The only one I want now is you, baby," I said before kissing him soundly. He gripped my waist, pulling me closer and returning the kiss.

It was absolute bliss, making out with Dylan in my car. The fact that any pedestrian could just walk by and see us, and that we were both not where we were supposed to be were huge turn-ons. He bit down hard on my earlobe and I groaned, rocking against him at a steady pace. He groaned back at me, pulling me closer and rocking as well. I began to rock faster, determined to drive him over the edge like he did to me. He was so adorable and _smoking_ hot at the same time, writhing underneath me, eyes clamped shut as I attacked his neck with my mouth.

"Jeez, baby…" he breathed, his hand slipping under my polo.

I was throbbing by this point, and my mind raced with all the things I wanted to do to him. His own hard-on was quite prominent against my thigh, and the knowledge that the only things separating us were four layers of flimsy fabric was almost enough to send _me_ over the edge. I moaned, and resumed my steady rocking.

"You like that, dontchya?" I growled against his neck, the filter between my mind and my mouth completely vanishing.

"Fuckyeah…"

God, his constant use of profanity was _such_ a turn on. I wanted him, so much, in so many ways.

Then, the buzzing symphony commenced.

_"Yeah my eyes, they don't see, and I don't breathe the way I used to…"_

"Whyyyy?" Dylan grunted, reaching into his pocket for his black Razr. I cursed it. I wanted to smash it into a millions pieces for interrupting the most erotic ten minutes of my life.

"Whaddayawant, Hannah?"

"Mom was wondering what's taking you so long." Hannah's voice blared out of the receiver. "Wait, why are you breathing so hard?"

"Oh, Kurt and I were-"

"Nevermind! Nevermind, I don't wanna know!"

Dylan chuckled maliciously and winked at me. "Um, I'll be home soon, kay?"

"Kay. Do you love me?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, Hannah, I love you more than I love Christofer Drew."

"Okay. I love you too. Bye."

He slipped his phone back into his pocket and leaned his head back to catch his breath. "Jesus Christ, I'm gonna kill that girl."

I giggled and kissed his cheek. "I suppose I should take you home now."

"Sadly," he sighed as I made my way back to the driver's seat.

"Well, your mom is probably worrying where you are. Who knows what your boyfriend could be doing to her little boy?"

Dylan shook his head. "Damn, Kurt, you're sexy."

I turned bright red as I started to drive. Inside, I was a big puddle of mush, but I was having _way_ too much fun teasing him.

"Yes, I know."

Hannah was waiting by the window when we got to Dylan's house. She was actually starting to creep me out a little. I double parked the car and got out, opening the door for my boyfriend and offering my hand. I was not done with him just yet.

"Oh, how chivalrous," he cooed, stepping out of the car and slamming the door behind him.

"Yeah… except you're not a girl..." I shuddered, leading him up the porch and to the door.

"Thank you, darling," he joked, kissing my cheek. "My mom will be pleased to know that I was in such good hands."

"That's my job," I said, bowing slightly.

"Okay, this is ridiculous," Dylan laughed.

"Totally." I took his hands and stood on my toes to place a quick kiss on his lips. "Goodnight, baby."

"Night," he said, stepping in the door. "Talk to your dad!"

"I will."

And then he was gone.

I felt that same lightheaded feeling I always did whenever we parted, but it was stronger this time. I _needed_ him. I couldn't think straight without him. I was beginning to count the seconds till I could see him again on Monday.

I knew just the word to describe what I was feeling, but I wasn't sure if I was ready to use it… yet.

* * *

I gave my baby a quick pat before going inside, fearing that this would be the last time I saw it in a while after what I pulled that night. My dad was sitting on the couch when I walked in, his head in his hands, looking deep in thought and extremely vulnerable. I had never seen him like that before.

"Dad?"

He looked up and gave me a blank stare. A wave of guilt crashed down on me.

"Dad, I'm really sorr-"

"Kurt, I'm really sorr-"

I looked down and smiled. "Can I go first?"

"Sure."

I took a deep breath. "Dad, I'm really sorry about tonight. I overreacted. I thought I was finally going to get to have a real… family experience with you tonight, and I guess I just wasn't quite ready to call Carole and Finn my 'family' yet. But I see the way you look at her… and now I know how it feels to have someone like that... so, I understand why you brought her here tonight. I'm sorry."

My dad stared at the wall. I shook with anticipation.

"I forgive you. And I'm sorry for not asking you whether you wanted them here or not. And you were right… the thought of my son… _dating…_ well, it is sort of terrifying. I still don't really know how to handle that stuff, Kurt, that was…"

The rest of his sentence went without saying.

"It's okay," I smiled up at him, realizing I was holding back tears. "Do you think we could schedule another dinner for next weekend?"

He nodded. "Yeah, sure. Would you… uh, want Carole there?"

I thought about it for a second. "Yeah. That might be nice."

The way his face lit up was heartwarming. "Thank you, Kurt."

"You really love her, don't you?"

He laughed. "Yeah. Yeah, I do."

"That's really great, dad." I gave him my best teary-eyed smile.

"And, uh, how 'bout you? This boy, uh… do you love him?"

I giggled and stared at the floor. The very thought of Dylan made me giddy. I could barely stand to be away from him.

"Yeah, dad, I think I do."

A combination of terror, admiration and understanding flashed in his eyes. "Good, good."

"Wait... so I'm not in trouble for storming out?"

My dad chuckled. "Nah, I'll let it slide."

Without further a due, I walked over and hugged my father.

* * *

Ack, I can't do emotional for my life :P Oh well.

So, obviously, now that Burt/Carole is canon, this story is AU. Quite a little genius, Kurt is ;D "Home" made me cry so much, and I _never_ cry! "Bad Rep" was super funny! Kurt's face after the Physical video! And U Can't Touch this? SUPAFLY!

Anyone else super excited for "Laryngitis"?! I sure am!

Review please! I love you guys!


	13. Sexting?

**Sexting?**

"Abrams?"

"Holla!"

"Ben-Israel?"

"Present."

"Bergan?"

"Ms. Hoffmeyer, my name is _Brittany_ Bergen, not just _Bergen_."

"Quiet. Cohen-Chang?"

"Here."

I was falling asleep with my head on the desk as our history teacher called roll. Dylan finally came over to dinner the night before, and everything went surprisingly well. Sure, my dad dropped the salad bowl on the floor when he caught sight of Dylan's bike and threatened his life a couple times, but other than that everything went swimmingly. Carole, as I had started calling her, was a huge help in keeping my dad in check after the salad incident. She told me in private afterwards that she thought Dylan was absolutely adorable. I agreed, with an embarrassingly girlish giggle. My dad was still a bit skeptical.

"He seems a little… edgy," he said. "But other than that… he sounds like a good kid. I approve."

I hugged him and sped upstairs, where Mercedes was anxiously awaiting me on AIM. We proceeded to chat for hours on end, and she never seemed to run out of questions.

** heyysoulsista: **have u done it yet? xD

**whoaitskurt: **"It"?

**heyysoulsista**: yes "it"! have u done it? i want deets!

**whoaitskurt**: Deets? That's gross Mercedes :P

**heyysoulsista**: so u have done it! OMG!

**whoaitskurt**: No! We've only been dating for like a month!

**heyysoulsista**: pshh, ur such a tease! lemme know when u do xD

**whoaitskurt**: What makes you think we're gonna do it?

**heyysoulsista**: lmfoa, u kidding me? ur crazy about him. i see u 2 having eyesex in glee club… and spanish… and history… and in the halls…

**whoaitskurt**: Okay, I get it -_-

**heyysoulsista**: u know u want to. like really bad.

**whoaitskurt**: You're so dirty minded late at night, Mercedes :P

**heyysoulsista**: u waaaaant toooo, don't even lieeeee

She was right.

And before we knew it, it was 4AM, I was still in my clothes and I had to be up for school in two hours. Hence, why I was so exhausted in class.

"Hudson?"

"Huh, what? Oh, here…"

"Hummel?"

"Mmmhere…"

"Hummel, pick ya head up. Jones?"

"_Hee-eere."_

"Katz?"

Silence.

"_Katz?_"

More silence. Was Dylan not in school? Was I that tired that I hadn't noticed his absence?

Then, as if on cue, Dylan came tumbling in. He had his "I've either just drank five cups of espresso or I'm _really_ excited about something" smile on, and his face was bright red. "Sorry, I was just… there was…"

"Siddown," Ms. Hoffmeyer ordered in her nasally Brooklyn drawl.

Dylan plopped down next to me, giving my knee a quick squeeze before pulling out his notebook. I chuckled and gave him a warm smile.

"Today we will be watching a documentary on the D-Day Invasion, and I want to see everyone taking notes! Then tonight I want a 200 word essay."

The narrator's monotone speech was making me drift even more than I was already. As my eyelids drooped, I felt myself slowly sliding down onto Dylan's shoulder, smiling when I finally settled in. The soft material of his T-shirt beat the cold desk _so much. _I smiled to myself as his hand tightened around my waist, praying Ms. Hoffmeyer would be too busy examining her fake nose in the mirror to notice. The sound of the documentary was fading farther and farther away…

"Mista Hummel!"

I jerked awake.

"Please trade seats with Miss Pepper."

"How long was I asleep?" I asked Dylan as I stood up. He shrugged.

I groaned, still exhausted as I sat down next to Santana in Susie Pepper's old seat. I scoffed at her pathetic attempt at putting on makeup – you _never_ put liner on the top when you already have big eyes – as my phone vibrated in my pocket. Discreetly, I checked the message.

**From: Dylan. Received: May 23****rd**** at 11:47 AM**

**why u so tired, baby?**

I looked up to see Dylan smiling at me from across the room. I smiled back weakly and answered the text.

**To: Dylan. Sent: May 23****rd**** 11:48 AM**

**I stayed up till 4am chatting with Mercedes and we were out of coffee this morning :P**

**From: Dylan. Received: May 23****rd**** at 11:48 AM**

**aww :( **

**To: Dylan. Sent: May 23****rd**** 11:49 AM**

**I know :( The nap I took on your shoulder was nice though :)**

**From: Dylan. Received: May 23****rd**** at 11:48 AM**

**aww :( **

**To: Dylan. Sent: May 23****rd**** 11:49 AM**

**I know :( The nap I took on your shoulder was nice though :)**

**From: Dylan. Received: May 23****rd**** at 11:49 AM**

**ur adorable x3**

**To: Dylan. Sent: May 23****rd**** 11:49 AM**

**So are you x3**

**From: Dylan. Received: May 23****rd**** at 11:50 AM**

**omg, u have to see this!**

**To: Dylan. Sent: May 23****rd**** 11:50 AM**

**What?**

**From: Dylan. Received: May 23****rd**** at 11:50 AM**

**it's a surprise**

**To: Dylan. Sent: May 23****rd**** 11:51 AM**

**You're such a tease! ;D x3**

**From: Dylan. Received: May 23****rd**** at 11:51 AM**

**don't worry, class is almost over. then i can show ya :)**

**To: Dylan. Sent: May 23****rd**** 11:52 AM**

**yay :)**

**From: Dylan. Received: May 23****rd**** at 11:53 AM**

**u look kinda hot when ur tired. ur hair's all over the place and your face is all red… its sexy xD**

My stomach fluttered as a result of this fabulous text. I rolled my eyes.

**To: Dylan. Sent: May 23****rd**** 11:53 AM**

**Well, my darling, although I strongly disagree with that statement, I must say you look quite delectable yourself, as always.**

**From: Dylan. Received: May 23****rd**** at 11:53 AM**

**omg, shut up, you look insanely sexy, not just now but all the time. **

**To: Dylan. Sent: May 23****rd**** 11:53 AM**

**Oh really?**

**From: Dylan. Received: May 23****rd**** at 11:54 AM**

**mmmhmm. i really wanna kiss u right now.**

Oh, goodness, where was this conversation going? One thing was for certain – I wasn't feeling as exhausted as I was before.

**To: Dylan. Sent: May 23****rd**** 11:54 AM**

**Baby, you have no idea.**

And just as I was starting to get exited, Ms. Hoffmeyer flipped on the lights and the class started to file out of the room.

"So you wanted to show me something?" I said, lacing my fingers through his as we made our way towards the cafeteria. We were old news by now, and people who had a problem with us were done having their fun. Now, the only things we got were clusters of giggling freshman girls who followed us around with their "Oohs"s and "Aww"s. Annoying as hell, but better than slushie facials and dumpster dives.

"Oh! Right!" He directed me eagerly towards the main office, where a crowd was starting to form. Dylan elbowed through it, dragging me with him and jabbing his finger at the list.

"You are not gonna believe this."

**Nominees for Junior Prom Royalty!**

**John Karovsky and Lydia Fletcher**

**Noah Puckerman and Quinn Fabray**

**Finn Hudson and Santana Lopez**

**Michael Chang and Brittany Bergen**

**Kurt Hummel and Dylan Katz**

I was in a total state of shock. "You're kidding me."

"I know!"

"No fucking way!"

"I know!"

We stared at each other with wide eyes, both unsure of what to say. Yes, I was happy. This was _huge_. There was no way we could win, but still. Two boys nominated for Prom King and… King? I was in competition with some of the top dogs at McKinley for one of the most important roles in one's high school life! Was it going to be scary? Hell yeah! Was it gonna be easy? Hell no! Did I care? Not at all.

I flung my arms around Dylan's neck, kissing him fiercely right in the middle of the hallway.

"Eew, get a room you two!"

We broke apart to find the usual suspects – Hannah, Mercedes, Tina and Brittany – crowding around us with big googly eyes and goofy smiles. I glared and them and Dylan laughed.

"Boykissing is so hot," Brittany mused innocently. Hannah gagged.

"Guess we're in competition now, Brit," I said jokingly.

The daffy Cheerio furrowed her eyebrows. "I thought we were in competition with Vocal Adrenaline."

Mercedes shook her head. "No, Brittany. We already beat them. Kurt's talking about the competition for Junior Prom Royalty!"

"Oh." Brittany shrugged and skipped away.

"Who nominated us anyway?" Dylan asked as we started towards the cafeteria, is arm around my shoulders.

"We did!" Mercedes and Tina chimed simultaneously.

"You guys are like, the cutest couple at McKinley," Mercedes added.

I blushed. "We are kind of adorable, aren't we?"

"Yeah, we are," Dylan sad smugly, kissing my temple. "It's mostly you, but…"

I shoved him lightly. "Shut up!"

"It's true, and we're totally gonna win this!"

I just smiled and nodded, not wanting to break it to him that there was no way that was gonna happen at a public high school in Western Ohio. I snuggled closer to him, receiving a chorus of "Aww"s and another gag from Hannah.

I stood by what I told my dad the other night – I _did_ love him. I was even more sure of it now. I wanted to scream it from the rooftops and hear it echo back. I needed to tell him soon, or he would beat me to the punch – that is, if he felt the same way – which was another fear I was harboring in the back of my mind.

Dylan had done all the firsts in our relationship – he was the first to kiss me, the first to ask me to be his boyfriend, the first to drive me over the edge, and the first to ask me out on a real date. There was no way I was going to let him be the first to say "I Love You."

I had to find the perfect way to tell him. Just saying it would be really boring, not to mention extremely unromantic. Writing it down would be an easy way out, although way too casual and also unromantic.

And then – epiphany!

Of course! I would say it in song!

It would be perfect – romantic, exciting and subtle at the same time.

Now all I needed to do was find the perfect song…

* * *

I originally intended for this chapter to be longer, but I split it in half. Please review! You guys are awesome :)

***sings* EVERYTHING'S COMING UP KUUUUUUUURT! ;D**


	14. Time

Sorry for my absence… I've been kinda busy with school, and performances, and end of the year crap, and seeing the Glee Concert, and meeting the Glee cast, and having a two second conversation with CHRIS COLFER about Rocky Horror… which inspired a new fic I'm gonna write when I'm done I'm done with this one… so enjoy two chapters in a row! :)

**

* * *

Time**

Surprisingly, my dad was home when I got home. He said he was starting to get sniffly and he didn't want to make it worse by staying outside in the rain. I told him to drink lots of herbal tea and to stay away from dairy. He just smiled and nodded, as usual.

"I picked this up for you at the mall," he said, handing me a Best Buy baggie. "It said 'Musical' on it, so I figured you would like it."

"Thanks dad!" He nodded, and bounded upstairs for a nap.

Inside I found the soundtrack to Green Day's _American Idiot_, my latest musical obsession. I grinned excitedly, then shuffled downstairs to my lounge to tackle my homework. Settling into the couch, I popped the CD into my MacBook and typed D-Day into Google.

The music was fantastic! Besides a few of their hits, I had never been very into Green Day, but I _really _liked this. Maybe it was the fact that the ensemble made it more theatrical, or maybe it was because John Gallagher Jr.'s voice was like a white chocolate latte, but I was really into it. Soon, I completely forgot about D-Day and was fully focused on the music.

_*pop*_

**rainbow_veins: **watchya doin, bb?

I smiled and shook my head at my boyfriend's adorable AIM message. He was so clingy, I loved it.

**whoaitskurt: **Trying to write this DDay thing. Urgh :P

**rainbow_veins:** me too. but ur distracting me x3

**whoaitskurt:** Oh really? How is that?

**rainbow_veins:** ur always on my mind x3

**rainbow_veins:** oh, and i can't stop thinking about how we're gonna be prom kings xD

**whoaitskurt:** One more tiara for my collection!

**rainbow_veins:** u collect tiaras?

**rainbow_veins:** that's hot! xD

**whoaitskurt:** pshhh, it was a childhood thing

**rainbow_veins:** suuuure

**whoitskurt:** how was football today?

**rainbow_veins:** neanderthals were being neanderthals, but w/e

**whoaitskurt:** aww, baby :( x3

And then, the unmistakable opening guitar riff to "Wake Me Up When September Ends" started to play. This song always made me tear up, and I almost skipped it, but Dylan interrupted me.

**rainbow_veins:** ur adorableee

**whoaitskurt:** Why thank you, I try ;D

_Words get trapped in my mind_

_Sorry I don't take the time to feel the way I do_

Wait, this wasn't "Wake Me Up When September Ends"!

_All I want is you to understand_

_That when I take your hand _

_It's cause I want to…_

Whoa, this was beautiful! It came from the same band that wrote "Well I'm not stoned, I'm just fucked up, I got so high I can't stand up…"? There was no way.

The song was called "When It's Time", according to the cover. When I was finished listening to the American Idiot version, I flew straight to YouTube. The original Green Day version was just as beautiful. I knew one thing at that moment –

_I had to sing this song to Dylan._

Work would have to be done, of course. The key was too low for me, that was for sure. It would be fun to replace the guitar riffs with my own piano riffs, and to strip down the rest completely – that way it would be raw and more heartfelt. I was bursting with ideas as I yanked the sheet music out of the printer and sat down at the keyboard to start working.

I crossed things out, put stuff in, and experimented with chords and riffs until the original sheet music was so chaotic I had to rewrite everything on staff paper. I didn't notice that it was almost eleven until my dad marched into my lounge, telling me to keep it down cause he was trying to sleep. I nodded, erasing the fiftieth measure completely and groaning in frustration.

"What are you doing anyway?" he asked as I played the second verse in double time.

"Working on a song."

"You wrote a song?" He moved in to get a closer look.

"No. I'm just rearranging one."

"Oh. Cool. How's, uh, Dylan doing?"

"Great," I said, said, scribbling in a fermata. "We were nominated for Prom Kings" I added with a chuckle.

"Really?" I turned to face him, and I could see he looked shocked, proud, creeped out, and a tad bit worried all at once. "That… great."

We stood there in silence before he finally said "Alright, Kurt, you should go to bed, you have school tomorrow."

I nodded, returning to my music as my dad returned upstairs. I wasn't resting till this song was absolutely perfect.

* * *

"Listen, babe, I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of this!"

"It is a big deal, Finn!" Rachel stormed after her boyfriend. "I'm your girlfriend. This is like cheating!"

"It's not like I asked for it!" he fought back as they headed out the door of the choir room. "You're a sophomore, you can't be nominated for prom queen!"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you should accept the nomination!"

Their voices faded as the rest of the club exited the choir room. My palms were sweating. My heart was beating out of control. The three words kept repeating themselves in my head-

_I love you._

Okay, it was time.

"Dylan, wait!"

He spun around on his heel. "Yeah?"

"I… I need to tell you something."

"Kay, shoot."

I held up a finger to tell him to wait, and then sat at the piano bench. I then motioned for him to come and sit next to me.

"Kurt, what are you doing?" he asked, sitting down as I played my opening.

_Words get trapped in my mind,_

_Sorry I don't take the time to feel the way I do._

_'Cause the first day you came into my life,_

_My time ticks around you_

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a smile break out on his face

_But then I need your voice_

_And the key to unlock all the love trapped in me_

_So tell me when it's time to say I love you._

_All I want is you to understand,_

_That when I take your hand, it's 'cause I want to._

_We are all born in a world of doubt_

_But there's no doubt,_

_I figured out..._

I paused and took a shaky breath.

_I love you._

I was too scared to check his reaction.

_I've feel lonely for_

_All the losers that will never take the time to say,_

_What was really on their mind, instead_

_They just hide away_

_Yet they'll never have _

_Someone like you to back them and help them on the way._

_Or tell them when it's time to say I love you._

_So tell me when it's time to say I love you._

I played the last piano riffs, quietly releasing my breath,

_Oooh, oooh._

The silence that followed was excruciating. My mind raced with immediate doubts and regrets and what-ifs and I wanted to run…

That is, until I felt Dylan wrap his arms around my waist, head resting on my shoulder. And we stayed like that for a good ten minutes.

He pulled away, ever so slowly, and smiled. "Come over after school. I have to tell you something too."

* * *

I pulled into the Katz driveway at precisely 4:00 that afternoon. I had decided to put away all thoughts at just go with it. Worrying was a waste of precious energy.

Mrs. Katz answered the door, cheeks bright red and curls all tied up in a messy bun. I was too anxious to try and come up with a snarky remark about her outdated clothes.

"Hi, sweetie," she chimed cheerfully. I hadn't been called 'sweetie' in ages. "Dylan's up in his room."

"Thanks."

Dylan's room was what you would expect of a teenage boy. Clothes strewn about, band posters on the walls (there was the kid in the sailor hat again), and then, of course, there was there was the teenage boy. My teenage boy was lounging on his bed, fiddling with his vintage Washburn guitar. He smiled widely when he saw me.

"Have a seat," he said, patting the space next to him on the bed. I obliged.

"So, this is my reply to what you told me ealier."

I nodded, not being able to stand the anticipation. And so he began.

_Baby, I love you_

_I never want to let you go_

_The more I think about, _

_The more I want to let you know... _

_That everything you do, _

_Is super fuckin' cute_

_And I can't stand it_

I let out a sigh of relief, and then began grinning like an idiot. Thank you Lord… God… Alexander McQueen… whoever.

_I've been searching for_

_Someone that's just like you_

_Cause I know_

_That your heart is true_

_Let's sell all our shit, _

_And run away_

_To sail the ocean blue_

_Then you'll know, _

_That my heart is true yeah_

_You, you got me where you want me_

_Cause I'll do anything to please you_

_Just to make it through... _

_Another year_

_You, I saw you across the room_

_And I knew that this was gonna_

_Blossom into something beautiful._

_You're beautiful._

_Baby, I love you_

_I never want to let you go_

_The more I think about, _

_The more I want to let you know... _

_That everything you do, _

_Is super duper cute_

_And I can't stand it_

_No, I can't staid it._

I stared into his eyes, soaking in the adorable sparkle they currently held in them. He loved me back. It was amazing.

"That was beautiful," I said dreamily, taking both of his hands into mine. "Did you write it?"

Dylan snorted. "Nahh, it's a Never Shout Never song. You know, the kid in the sailor hat? I can't write music for shit."

I smiled. "I don't care. It was… wow. Beautiful." I brought my hand up to his cheek. "I love you so much, Dylan."

His cheeks turned bright red. I had never seen him blush before. "I love you too, Kurt. Like, a lot."

We both laughed as he leaned in to kiss me. I snaked my arms around his neck as he pushed me back onto his bed. I kissed him back passionately, fingers digging through his hair as his hands began to wander. He pulled away for a brief second, whispering something like "I love you so much, baby", only to bring his lips back down on my forhead. He moved down as I whimpered. I wanted him so much. He placed hot, wet kisses down my jaw, down my neck, painfully slow. I slipped my fingers underneath his shirt and ran my fingers up his back. His skin was smooth and cold, and I wanted to feel it against mine. I pushed the fabric upward, and Dylan took the hint, sitting up slightly so I could pull it off his head.

Dylan's abs were unbelievably beautiful. He didn't have a six pack or anything, but it was lightly muscled and his skin was tanned and creamy. I could barely believe it was _all mine. _I took a deep breath to control myself.

His lips were now on my collarbone, and I groaned, dying for them to move lower. He undid the first button to my shirt, placing a soft, wet kiss with a flick of something else – was it his tongue? It was the most erotic thing ever. I groaned loudly, gripping his hair tightly.

"God, I love you," I said breathlessly as he kissed my chest again. I wanted more.

"Can I undo another one?" he asked innocently, this time definitely flicking his tongue over that spot.

"Please," I begged. "I wanna feel my skin on yours. _Now."_

Dylan looked up at me, a dirty glint in his eye. "Demanding, are you?"

I glared at him. _"Now._ Please, _please_ baby?"

And then there was a knock on the door.

"Boys?"

Dylan flew off me, slipping his shirt back on in one swift motion.

"Yeah mom?"

"Dinner's ready."

"Kay," he called, still breathing heavily. I fumbled with my buttons, trying to get them back up and calm my body.

Dylan shook his head. "Wow."

"I know."

We both chuckled.

"So… dinner?"

"Dinner."

* * *

Teehee, I Iove teasing you guys. REVIEW!

VIVEZ LA DIFFERENCE! *high kick*


	15. June

Middle school is OVER! I never have to go back to that horrible place ever again! Now two months of totally free time for the to finish up this story, and then LAGUARDIA! I'm ready and excited, are you ready and excited? Let's get this going and then build a house for Habitat for Humanity! ;D

* * *

**June**

The same exact meal we ate at the sleepover - salad and spaghetti - was spread out across the dining room table. Mrs. Katz was bustling around when we arrived downstairs, her face redder than usual as she set out plates and napkins.

"Honey, get your sister down here," she told Dylan, pulling a handful of silverware out of the drawer. He nodded, sticking his head up the stairs and calling "Haaaaa-nnaaaaah!"

I stood there awkwardly, not aware that our serenading session would turn into a family dinner, and feeling even more awkward that I was practically alone with my boyfriend's mother.

"Kurt, sweetie, have a seat," she said, gesturing towards the head of the table. I flinched at "sweetie" again, but smiled and obliged. "Smells delicious."

"She's not answering me," Dylan said as he stepped back into the kitchen.

Mrs. Katz sighed, rubbing her face in her hands. "Ohhhh, God. Can you go upstairs and get her, please honey?"

Dylan rolled his eyes. "Fine."

I stared down at my empty plate as I listened to him bounding up the stairs.

"Oy vey," Mrs. Katz sighed, head falling into her hands. "This girl... what're we gonna do with her?"

I chuckled awkwardly. "She is, uh, quite theatrical..."

"You're telling me!" she took a heaping bite of spaghetti and lifted up the salad bowl. "Caesar salad?"

"Yes, please," I replied, serving myself. I stared at the stairs, wondering what was taking Dylan so long. The silence was unbearable. Finally, Mrs. Katz cleared her throat.

"So Kurt, I uh, just wanted to thank you."

I looked up at her. "Me? For what?"

"Well, for starters, you were the first person in a while to be nice to Hannah, and I appreciate it. You are Mercedes really made us all feel welcome."

I smiled. "It was my pleasure." Although, I was beginning to doubt whether "pleasure" was the right word to describe being associated with Hannah Katz.

"And also, well... you make Dylan so happy," she continued. "I haven't seen him this happy in... well... forever. He's always been very chill, go with the flow, so I figured this move couldn't be too hard on him... Well, that shows how in touch with my own children I am - he seemed to be miserable at first. But now that he has you, well... He's a whole other person. And I just want to make sure you know how special you are. Dylan really loves you."

My eyes were glassed over with tears and my cheeks were almost as red as hers when she finished. I never pictured Mrs. Katz as the crying type, but she appeared to be teary as well. I almost wanted to get up and hug her, but I refrained. I was absolutely speechless. If it wasn't for Dylan, who bounded into the kitchen at that moment with a grouchy looking Hannah close behind, some of those tears might have actually fallen.

"Hey, what's going on here?" he questioned, eyeing our awed expressions.

"Nothing," Mrs. Katz chimed innocently. "Just letting Kurt how much he's appreciated."

Dylan beamed, stopping on the way to his seat to kiss me on the cheek. It and its counterpart flushed darker.

"I love him too," I said smiling, taking his hand under the table.

Hannah scoffed loudly. Dylan shot her a look. Besides that, dinner was perfectly normal.

* * *

Dylan's eyes...wow. I had never noticed how milky they were before. They were just... serene. And the view was even better now that I had those thick framed glasses in my back pocket and his big hands were reaching for them. He was making way too much of a show of trying to get his glasses back, hands running painfully slow down my ass, occasionally pulling me closer as we stared into each others' eyes. It felt so amazing, I wanted to moan, but I didn't. Instead, I swatted his hands away, raising and eyebrow at him naughtily.

He glared at me. "Kurt?"

"Yes?"

"I can't see."

I sighed in defeat, pulling the glasses out of my back pocket an placing them back on his face gently.

He smiled. "There. Now I can see your pretty eyes."

He touched his nose to mine and fluttered his eyelashes. "You really do have the prettiest eyes. They're all blue and green and-"

"Glasz."

Dylan pulled away. "Say what?"

"Glasz," I repeated. "The amazing color that lies between blue, green and gray."

He scoffed and shook his head. "Alright then. Still, prettiest eyes ever."

I giggled and tightened my grip on his waist. "I love you."

Both of our cheeks reddened, still not used to the powerful declaration.

"I love you too," he replied as I leaned up to kiss him. He responded, not attempting to deepen it, but just as gently as I had started. It was perfect.

"Alright," I breathed, pulling away finally. "You came out here to kiss me goodbye 20 minutes ago. I need to go before my dad flips out on me."

"Aww. Okay," he said, kissing my forehead one last time. "I love you. Bye!"

"Love you too," I blew him a kiss as he returned back inside and I settled into my car.

"Okay, Hummel, listen up."

I almost screamed.

In the passenger's seat, clad only in a pink tank top and matching booty-shorts, was Hannah.

"How did you get in here?"

She smirked. "I have my ways."

"That's... insane. Hannah, get out of my car."

"No. I have to talk to you."

I rolled my eyes. What could she possibly want? "Make it quick."

"Okay," she said, shifting so her was sitting on her knees and leaning close to my face. "I'm going to say this once, and once only - _stay away from my brother._"

I stared at her blankly. _Who the fuck does she think she is?_

"I'm sorry, what?"

"You heard me."

"Hannah, I love Dylan and he loves me. Why do you have such an issue with that?"

"You don't love him. You're going to break his heart. He spends all this time with you, cause you lead him on-"

"What are you _talking_ about?"

"Just stay away from him."

"What is your problem?" I was almost screaming. "You know what? No. Get out of my car."

Hannah arched an eyebrow. "Don't forget that."

And with that, she was gone.

I sat there in my Navigator, eyes wide, silence pounding in my ears.

_What the hell was that?_

* * *

June went by in a blur. Between studying for finals and rehearsing for glee club, Dylan and I barely had any time to spend together. It frustrated me immensely, but if I didn't ace all my finals my dad would most likely take my car away, and that would not be good.

New Directions lost States due to our lack of Rachel, who quit the club when Mr. Schue gave the lead in "Battlefield" to Hannah, who sung it wonderfully during rehearsal, but completely forgot the lyrics during the show. Thankfully, we had placed at Regionals, and we could always try again next year. Still, the club was quite dejected, and Finn was working his hardest to get Rachel to come back.

Hannah was still ignoring me, besides the occasional cold glare, which I returned. I loathed her now. I didn't know how she could possibly be related to Dylan. She would only talk to Mercedes, who refused to tell me what was wrong with her.

"The girl is wack," she said one morning. "But she really needs a friend right now. Don't take it personal."

Dylan didn't seem to understand what was going on with her either.

"Exactly why I don't like girls," he had said. "They're so moody and shit."

"Urgh, tell me about it."

"And besides - no girl on the planet is as amazing, beautiful, and sweet as you are."

That conversation led to a particularly erotic makeout in the back seat of my Navigator. It was great and all, but I was starting to need more. And, judging by the noises he made, Dylan felt the same way. One hot, sticky day in mid-June, he passed me a not in Spanish class.

**1 week till prom! :D**

I smiled. It was true. I had already gotten us matching tuxes and booked a limo to take us, along with Mercedes, Tina and Artie. I could hardly contain my excitement.

**True! I can't wait :)**

**me neither. we're SO gonna win!**

**Hehehe. Would be nice :)**

**you look extraspeshly gorgeous today x3**

**Really? Must be the new Aveeno lotion I tried.**

**whatever it is, i loooove it**

**I love you so much it hurts.**

**really? were? xD**

**You know exactly where.**

**mmmm ;D whatchu gonna do bout it?**

**No, I believe the question is - what are YOU gonna do about it?**

**ooooh, the possibilities xD**

**Mmm, like what?**

**do you really wanna know?**

**No. I want you to show me. Tonight. My dad's on a trip with his girlfriend.**

I risked a glance up at him. His eyes were wide as he stared at the note. _Shit._

"...well?" I whispered.

"A...are you sure?"

"Absolutely... unless you -"

"No no no no no. I want to. Like, more than anything."

We both turned bright red.

"So... Voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir?"

Dylan stared at me blankly. "I have no idea what that means, but it sure sounds hot when you say it."

* * *

Keep on reviewing! I love you guys x3


	16. Waiting

Sorry about the wait... again. Summer is turning out to be busier than I thought it would be. Short chapter is short, sorry :(

Oh! 10 points to whoever catches the AVPS reference ;D (Requested by Zafira - I love you girlie!)

**

* * *

Waiting**

I gave Dylan a quick peck on the lips. "Have fun at football rehearsal."

He moved his lips to my ear and whispered "See you tonight" in a low, musky tone that sent shivers through my body and all the blood rushing straight to my groin.

I watched him run off in his uniform, the plethora of things we could do together beginning to form in my mind. I tingled with excitement as I drove home. Everything was finally falling into place, and tonight... tonight, I was going to sleep with Dylan Katz. And everything had to be absolutely perfect.

Upon arriving home, I threw my bag on the couch and headed straight to the basement lounge. I found my French Romance mix, the perfect music to set the mood right. I pulled out the sofa-bed and covered it with lots of fluffy pillows and pastel colored blankets. I made sure the lounge was spotless before lining the room with French scented candles. On the coffee table, I set out a vase of red roses and a bowl of chocolate-covered-cherries, in case we got hungry. Lastly, I hid the "supplies" we would need safely under the pillows, so we wouldn't have to move when we needed them, and consequentially ruin the mood. Yes, I had been preparing for this for days.

I had even gotten myself a new pair of pajamas for the occasion - they were bright red satin with big black buttons that I made sure were easy to undo. I set them aside and ran upstairs to take a shower. I shampoo'd and conditioned my hair three times over with my best products, then let it air-dry as I moisturized. I made sure every strand was in place and every blemish was covered before putting on the pajamas and and lying down on the sofa bed to wait.

I checked the time on my iPhone. It was 6:45, and I still had fifteen minutes of waiting before Dylan arrived. I sighed, pulling my MacBook out to kill time. My hands were shaking with anticipation as I opened up Facebook. As soon as I logged in, Mercedes sent me a chat message.

**Mercedes: **yo, i cannot deal w/ hannah anymore, she's impossible

I chuckled and shook my head, eagerly responding

**Me:** Come to your senses, have you? ;D

**Mercedes: **oh, shut up, i was being a good friend!

**Me: **I know, I'm sorry :P

**Mercedes:** issokay. watchu doin?

**Me:** Waiting for Dylan

**Mercedes:** oooooh! got any plaaaans?

**Me:** Maaaaaybe ;]

**Mercedes:** OMG!

I checked the time at the top of the screen. Dylan should be arriving any minute now. I tingled with anticipation.

**Me: **'OMG' is correct, my dear :D

**Mercedes:** u nervous?

**Me:** Mmm... a little. Mostly excited.

**Mercedes: **aaaaack :D you're so lucky!

My stomach sank.

**Me:** Aww, Mercedes :( 3 I know there's a nice chocolate man someone out there for you.

**Mercedes:** hopefully

**Me:** Aww :( Be right back, I need a glass of water.

As I pranced over to my mini-fridge, I caught the time on the clock. 7:15. Dylan was late, as usual. I shrugged, pouring myself a glass of sparkling water and settling back into the bed.

**Me:** Back

**Mercedes:** aaay ;D watchu wearin to prom?

Me: Armani suit with purple accents. Dylan has a matching one with yellow accents.

**Mercedes: **cuuuute!

We went on discussing prom outfits as the time ticked away. I began to subconsciously drum my fingers on the mouse pad, which were soon mirrored by the tapping of my feet. It was now 7:30, and I was beginning to flip my shit. He was blowing me off, wasn't he? He was too scared. The little... Was this whole thing a joke from the beginning? Of course it was. The jock playing a joke on the gay kid, how hilarious. I couldn't believe how stupid I had been. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes, and I blinked them away. How _could_ he? How _could_ he?

**Me:** Mercedes, I gotta go.

I slammed the laptop shut and scurried upstairs. I pulled open and curtains and looked out the window, searching for any sign of Dylan's Harley. Nothing. The worst possible thoughts flew across my mind, my hands jittering. I fell down onto the couch and crossed my arms. I let my eyes fall shut and attempted to calm down.

_Kurt. Think rationally. _

_Dylan loves you, you know that._

_He's probably just late._

_Maybe Coach Tanaka is yelling at them._

_Maybe his bike broke down._

_Oh my God, what if he had an accident?_

_What if he's hurt!_

_No no no no, STOP._

_You know what, I could just call him! _

In a split second, I reached across the couch to the home phone, dialing Dylan's number quickly. It rang. And rang. And rang. And rang. And then - "Hey, this is Dylan. I'm not here right now, sorry 'bout that. But if you leave a message I will attempt to get back to you. Peace!" I felt like kicking a chair. I took a deep breath and responded "Hey... baby, it's me. It's seven fifty... just wondering where you were and if you'e okay. Call be back, kay?"

I hung up, tossing the phone onto the couch next to me.

_Breathe in, breathe out. _

_Breathe in, breathe out._

I tried to focus on those simple tasks as I spotted a package of my dad's favorite snack, Red Vines, sprawled open on the coffee table. I grabbed one and munched on it, relishing the amazing taste of artificial chemicals and High Fructose Corn Syrup. My dad was right, Red Vines made everything better. Before I even realized, the whole package was gone. Feeling like a fat-ass, I got up and stared out the window again. To my surprise, there was a car pulling into the driveway. But it wasn't Dylan who came rushing out of it - it was Finn.

I yanked the door open before he could even knock. "Finn, what are you doing here?"

The anxious expression on his face did nothing for my nerves.

"Quick, get in the car. We have an emergency."


	17. Fine

**Fine**

"What's going on?"

I could hear the blood pounding in my ears. _This is not happening. This is absolutely _not_ happening. I'm dreaming. I'm dreaming and I'm going to wake up and everything's gonna be fine. All I need is one of those spinny things like they had in _Inception, _and then I can prove that this is NOT reality and I'm going to-_

It was only when I lurched forward that I realized I was already in the car, speeding down the road, still wearing only my pajamas and slippers. And it was only when I looked to my left that I realized Finn was talking.

"- didn't know what to do so Puck shoves him into his car and I'm like 'Holy shit, I gotta tell Kurt! So then I –"

"Wait… _what_? Start over, I was hyperventilating."

"Hyper-what?"

"Finn, _what happened_?"

He took a deep breath. "At football today, the guys were being their usual rowdy selves… ya know, screaming shit and calling Dylan a… well, you know. He's usually really good at taking it, he does this whole eye-roll-talk-to-the-hand thing, but today… today, he sorta lost it. He started screaming shit back, and then everyone was yelling and pushing, and then Karovsky's all "Hope you didn't give that Hummel kid AIDS" or something like that, then Dylan hits him, and he hits him back, then Azimio and some other douches join in, and me and Puck try to help him, but it's like, we're try'na fight polar bears or something… well, in Azimio's case it's more like those big fuzzy ones that live in the forest and eat berries… anyway, we manage to fish Dylan out of the fight, and he's all bruise-ey and he's moaning about his arm… Then Coach Tanaka shows up and he's all like 'What going on heeeere?' and then he sees Dylan and says his arm is broken, so Puck takes him to the hospital, and I stay and yell at everyone then come and get you… and now we're here."

I was numb. Absolutely numb. The thoughts racing through my head were so loud, they were deafening. I knew this was coming. I knew it but I pushed it aside. I felt completely responsible too. Being in Lima changed Dylan. Before, he never cared what people thought, but the hate here was too much for him. I couldn't believe it. If he wasn't dating me, he would be in the hospital. He'd be sitting at home with his mom and sister and everything would be just dandy. I didn't deserve him as a boyfriend. Oh God, was he okay? What if he could never play guitar ever again? It would be _my fault._ And I could never forgive myself for that.

Finn pulled into the first empty spot in the hospital parking lot as I hopped out, flying across the lot and through the automatic doors. I skidded to a halt, slipping a bit because of the slippers, and leaned against the reception desk as Finn came up behind me.

"I need to see Dylan Katz," I spat out breathlessly.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Katz isn't seeing any visitors," the blonde secretary replied in a sickeningly sweet tone.

"No, you don't understand. I _need_ to see him."

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you family?"

Finn stepped forward. "I'm uh, his cousi-"

"I'm his _boyfriend_. And he's been hurt and I need to see him right away."

The lady had a horrorstruck look on her face just as Hannah and Mrs. Katz came running through the automatic doors. I let out a sigh of relief as she pulled her wallet and driver's license.

"Jacqueline Katz, I need to see my son," she stated fiercely. "I received a phone call that he was injured and checked in, so will you kindly tell me where he is and allow my daughter and my son's boyfriend in with me?"

The secretary's eyes bugged out like a deer in the headlights. "Room 1-57."

Finn announced that he'd be staying in the waiting room as the three of us scurried through the halls until we found room 1-57. The door was shut tight. We all exchanged worried glances.

"Kurt, sweetie, why don't you go in first?"

"Uh… okay," I nodded, shaking. Everything was happening so fast, I could barely keep up with it. I turned to go in, then swiveled back around. "Thanks, Mrs. Katz."

She smiled, tears in her eyes. "It's Jackie, sweetie."

I nodded, unsure of what to say, and walked in.

Dylan was sitting on the bed, his wrist bandaged up and his face covered in small cuts and bruises covering his face. When he saw me, his face broke out into a smile.

"Hey you."

"Oh my GOD. Oh my God."

Words began spewing out of my mouth like fireworks, not even paying attention to what I was saying.

"Hey, hey, HEY!" Dylan shouted, finally. "I'm okay! It's just a sprained wrist, that's all. All of these should heal soon." He pointed at the bruises on his face.

I shook my head. I still couldn't believe this was happening. Everything was so… perfect. And now _this_. I ran to him, wrapping my arms around him and burying my face in his neck. Before I knew it, I was shaking with sobs. Tears were running down my face and onto Dylan's t-shirt. He ran his un-sprained hand up and down my back.

"Shhhhh."

"It's all my fault," I sobbed.

"What?" Dylan pulled away. "Kurt, how could you think that?"

"If you weren't dating me, those N-n-neanderthals wouldn't have beat you up, oh my _God." _My hands flew to my face.

"Baby," he snaked his arms around my waist. "Kurt, I love you. And I always will. Those Neanderthals are just… tools. They wish they had what we have. Oh God… Kurt, please stop crying."

I took a deep breath. "You're right. I'm sorry."

Dylan wiped my tears with his good thumb. His eyes scanned me up and down. "… you're in your pajamas."

I chuckled. "Well, yeah. Remember our plans for tonight?"

He smirked. "How could I forget?"

"When you didn't show up… gosh, I got so _worried_. I thought you… chickened out or something."

"Chicken out? On you? Never." He pressed his face into my chest.

And we stayed like that for a good ten minutes.

"Your mom probably wants to come see you," I said finally.

"Yeah," he sighed, sitting up. "God, I'm gonna get those bastards one day."

"Don't," I said. "You've gotten yourself into enough trouble already. It's easier to just… swallow your pride."

He scowled at me. I smiled.

"So… I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Definitely." I kissed him briefly before slowly exiting the room.

"How is he?" Jackie asked me as I closed the door.

"He seems okay," I replied. "Sprained wrist, a few bruises, but that's all."

She snorted, and before I knew it, she was hugging me. After the initial shock wore off, I gave in and hugged her back.

"I love you, kiddo."

Another wave of shock. She… _loved_ me? Wow. It was almost like having a…

"Thanks."

She pulled away and stroked my cheek. "You are so special."

Jackie began to make her way into the room when I noticed Hannah was missing.

"Hey, where'd Hannah go?"

"She's in the waiting room… said something about not being ready to see Dylan or something." She rolled her eyes and stepped in.

Strolling back to the waiting room, I knew what I had to do next.

* * *

Thanks for reading! You guys are amazing. Keep reviewing!

And hey, did you hear that Sam got cast? He's being played by Chord Overstreet. Look him up, he's adorable :D


	18. Natural

Hannah sat cross-legged on a particularly uncomfortable looking waiting room bench, her heavy-lidded eyes staring out the window. Today she was wearing black Bermuda shorts and a floral babydoll top. Her hair was braided neatly on either side of her head, a style that made her look particularly young and vulnerable. I was afraid that if I came any closer, she would crumble up into nothing simply from the vibrations on the floor.

"Hey," I whispered, sitting down next to her gently. She ignored me and continued to stare out the window. I followed her gaze to see what exactly she was staring at: A man in his mid-twenties was giving a piggy-back ride to his little daughter, who was laughing and ruffling his hair. I turned back to look at Hannah, who was biting her lip so hard I could've sworn it was beginning to bleed.

"Dylan wants to talk to you," I continued cautiously. "He loves you, you know-"

"Oh my GOD, will you shut up? Please?" I had never seen her look this pissed. Not even when I first met her and she had just been slushied.

"Everyone uses that word like it actually means something," she continued on with her ranting. "It drives me crazy. People think they're being all sincere and serious when they say 'I love you'. People need to realize that it's just a word, and words don't mean anything."

She huffed loudly, crossing her arms and shaking her head, then carefully bringing her puffy eyes back up to me. "My dad would say it to me all the time. 'I love you, Hannah Banana. You're my one and only' and other shit like that. He said it to my mom too. But he also said it to Eliza… and Debbie… and Scarlett… and Natalia too. Then he would say it to me again when he found out I knew about his 'special friends'… simply _begging _me not to tell mom, and pampering me with all kinds of shit. And, even after all these 'I love you's, he still left us, and threatened abuse. So, really, it means nothing. How am I supposed to know that Dylan won't do the same thing? He says he loves me, but lately, he's been spending all his time fucking you in the ass, hasn't he?"

My eyes bugged out and I had the sudden urge to slap her. "Dylan and I have _never _–"

"Why are you in your pajamas?"

My mouth hung open as I searched for words to explain myself. Alas, she had won.

"Exactly."

I let my eyes fall shut, attempting to calm down, or else this would drag on forever. I took a deep breath.

"Hannah, just because Dylan loves me as a boyfriend doesn't mean he doesn't love you as a sister. Hell, that doesn't even make sense! Dylan loves you _so_ much. He does everything for you, he would throw himself in front of a bus for you, I know it. But he loves me too, and you have to accept that. Just because your dad had commitment issues, doesn't mean your brother inherited them."

And then, out of nowhere, she burst into tears. I watched as she cried hysterically, shaking her head.

"I know, I know! I'm such a stupid bitch!"

I laughed, awkwardly wrapping my arms around her. "Um… everything's going to be okay…"

"I wanna go home! I miss my apartment. I miss my neighbors. I miss my neighborhood. I miss my school. I miss my nonexistent friends. I hate this town!"

I had nothing to say to that, so I kept rocking her back and forth and whispering "Everything's gonna be okay, everything's gonna be okay." After a while, she stopped crying, wiped her eyes and sat up.

"I am such a stupid bitch!"

"You are _such_ a stupid bitch!"

We both laughed.

"Well, I think I'll go see my brother now." And with that, she stood and strolled off into the depths of the hospital. I stared after her, absolutely baffled.

_What a stupid bitch!_

* * *

"Will you sit still?"

Dylan squirmed as I combed through his hair, frustrated with the knots.

"Owww, you're hurting me!" he wined, swatting my hand away.

"Well, maybe if you took better care of your hair, it wouldn't have to hurt," I snapped, arriving at his hair's frazzled tips. "Jesus Chris, Dylan, what do you put in your hair?"

The looked up at me. "Nothing, I just straighten it every day."

"_Every day_?" I exclaimed. "What does it look like naturally?"

"Like Hannah's."

I took a second to imagine Dylan with a head of tight, dark curls. It was the cutest mental image _ever_.

"Alright, we're fixing this," I stated, dragging him to the bathroom.

"What are you doing?" he asked, gripping his hair protectively.

I smirked at him. He cowered in fear.

After an hour, we were back in front of the mirror and I was pawing through a head full of thick, black curls. Dylan's face was contorted into twenty different emotions at once, trying to decide whether he liked it.

"Oh my _God_, you look adorable!" I sqealed, leaning down to kiss his cheek.

"How do you know how to work with curly hair?" he asked, reaching up to fluff his hair. "I've _never_ had it look this good!"

"Well, first of all, my best friend is black," I explained. "That neat little weave of hers is nothing like it is in it's natural state, and once you've dealt with that, you can deal with anything. But also, my mom had curly hair, and I used to watch her take care of it. I knew those skills would come in handy one day."

There was a moment of silence as Dylan beamed up at me. "I love you."

I snorted. "I love you too, but we're late. The limo's gonna be here in an hour, and we still have to get dressed, and you _know _my dad and Carole are gonna want to take pictures…"

We made quick work of getting into our tuxes. The yellow accents in Dylan's tux brought out his eyes beautifully, and I felt like taking him right then and there.

"You look amazing," he told me, kissing my forehead. "Now come on, let's go be camera whores."

I laughed as he led me downstairs, where Finn and Rachel were already posing for Carole. Rachel's pink dress was so shiny, it practically reflected the flash.

"My boy is so grown up!" she cooed, snapping a few more pictures. "Oh, and look at these two lovely young men!" She turned to face us. "Come're, all of you get together, there, that's it, now smile!"

My dad walked up behind her as she snapped a few more pictures (Rachel's facial expression growing more ridiculous with each one). He beaming at me.

"Kurt, you look great," he said, patting me on the shoulder. "I'm so proud of you. And you too." He turned to Dylan, who smiled uncomfortably and shook his hand.

Carole took a few more pictures of Dylan and I alone, before the doorbell rang, meaning the rest of the clan had arrived.

I couldn't even fathom how beautiful everyone looked. Mercedes had her hair pulled back in a bun and was wearing a long, violet dress. Tina's dress was black, as usual, with lace and ruffles that scraped the ground, and what looked like a black bird's nest on her head with netting that fell onto her face. Artie and Matt were both wearing a simple black tuxes. Artie his hair slicked back and had decorated his wheelchair with pretty white flowers. At this point, Carole was crying and everyone was hugging each other and laughing. We posed for countless more pictures before filing into the limo, buzzing with excitement.

Dylan smiled and kissed me on the cheek. "Tonight's gonna be a good night."

* * *

Thank you for all your reviews! You guys are awesome. Keep it up! :D

Oh, and I know Sam may be played by Chord Overstreet, but Dylan is still Darren Criss xD


	19. Exception

Thank you for your reviews! I really appreciate it! Only one more chapter and an epilogue after this, so keep reviewing. You guys are just awesome.

* * *

**Exception**

I could feel the pounding of the bass pulsing through me even before we entered Breadstix, which had been rented out for our Junior Prom. We all rushed out of the limo and into the crowd of dancing bodies, pushing and shoving and having a good time. I immediately spotted a few dresses that made me want to vomit, covered in rhinestones and made of cheap polyester, but I held my tongue. This night was about having a great time with my friends and boyfriend, and _nothing _was about to get in the way.

"Hey ladyface!" I felt a tug on my shirttail and spun around. Brittany stood behind me, teetering on her stilettos but looking beautiful in a skin-tight lavender tube dress. On her head was a sparkly plastic tiara. I smiled.

"Hey girlie!" I reached up to hug her as she groped my ass.

"Whoa there!" Dylan cut in. "The boy is mine." He snaked his arm around my waist protectively.

"You're cute," she slurred, pinching my nose. "So are you." She pinched Dylan's as well, her intoxication quite obvious now.

"What's with the tiara?" Mercedes asked, coming up behind us.

"I'm nominated for Prom Queen," she said. "You're supposed to wear a tiara if you're nominated for Prom Queen, right?"

The three of us stared at each other blankly, not even attempting to explain ourselves to the oblivious blonde.

"Alrighty, I need to get back to my date… he's over there… somewhere…" her eyes scanned the crowd as she stumbled over her own feet.

"Who're you here with?" Mercedes asked.

"Mike Chang," she answered, then leaned in really close. "But tonight I'm going home with Santana. She said we're gonna 'make love'… whatever that means…"

I mentally facepalmed, and figured that was our cue to walk away.

"Wanna go get drinks?" I whispered to Dylan, who nodded avidly. We elbowed our way though the crowd, over to the beverage table where Puck was standing, looking extremely smug.

"What can I get you boys?" he asked, nodding to the punch. "Spiked with Vodka over there on the left, the middle one has a fine Italian wine, and this one here has good ol' Budweiser. What would you like?"

I glared at him.

"Hey, Katzster, how's that wrist doing?"

"Doin' okay," he said, fist-pounding the newly-Mohawked boy.

"Can we just have some regular punch? Please?" I snapped.

"Oooh, touchy," he turned to a fourth bowl and poured us each a glass. "Here you go, princess."

"What did you just call me?"

Puck fell silent, wide eyed.

"Trust me man, he's a dude. I would know."

He winked at me and pulled me away. I looked back at Puck, who's face was twisted with disgust at what Dylan was suggesting.

"Since when are you all buddy-buddy with Puck?" I asked him.

He shrugged. "He started being nice to me all of a sudden. He even took me to the hospital when I sprained my wrist. Maybe it's Finn's influence?"

"Maybe," I replied, no longer interested in the topic. I raised my drink. "To us."

He grinned ear to ear. "Forever and ever." We clinked our plastic cups together.

"Wanna dance?" Dylan asked, putting his drink down on the table.

I nodded enthusiastically, doing the same with my drink and following him onto the dance floor. The room was swaying to the opening notes of "The Only Exception" by Paramore, a band I'd never been too fond of, but I was beyond caring at this point. Dylan wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close and nuzzling my face. I let my hands rest on his shoulders, playing fondly with his collar. We swayed back and forth, gently, and suddenly it was like we were in another world. All the other meaningless people disappeared, and it was only us, dancing together, so in love.

_When I was younger_

_I saw my daddy cry_

_And curse at the wind_

_He broke his own heart_

_And I watched_

_As he tried to reassemble it_

_And my momma swore that_

_She would never let herself forget_

_And that was the day that I promised_

_I'd never sing of love_

_If it does not exist_

_But darling,_

_You are the only exception_

_You are the only exception_

_You are the only exception_

_You are the only exception_

I felt Dylan bury his face into my neck, kissing my sensitive skin lightly. I couldn't resist letting out a content sigh.

_Maybe I know, somewhere_

_Deep in my soul_

_That love never lasts_

_And we've got to find other ways_

_To make it alone_

_Keep a straight face_

_And I've always lived like this_

_Keeping a comfortable distance_

_And up until now_

_I had sworn to myself that I'm_

Content with loneliness

_Because none of it was ever worth the risk_

_Well, you are the only exception_

_You are the only exception_

_You are the only exception_

_You are the only exception_

Dylan gripped me tighter, breathing heavily. I stroked the back of his neck.

"I love this song," he told me.

"Really?" I replied. "Why?"

There was a long pause as the instrumental break played. "Have you been paying attention to the lyrics?"

I didn't answer.

_I've got a tight grip on reality, but I can't _

_Let go of what's in front of me here_

_I know you're leaving in the morning, when you wake up_

Leave me with some kind of proof it's not a dream

_Cause__ you are the only exception_

_You are the only exception_

You are the only exception You are the only exception

_You are the only exception_

You are the only exception

_You are the only exception_

You are the only exception

And then, I understood.

And I'm on my way to believing

_Oh, I'm on my way to believing_

We let the last chord ring and clung to each other, never wanting the moment to end. His breath was hot on my neck, and I felt tears pricking the back of my eyes.

"I love you," he whispered sincerely. He pulled back, only to press a feathery light kiss on the corner of my mouth. My eyes fluttered shut.

"Alright everyone, may I have your attention please?"

Suddenly, we were back at Breadstix, in the midst of a good 300 people, who all shifted their attention to the makeshift stage in the back of the room. Principal Figgins was speaking into a microphone, holding a large envelope in his hands.

"Now we are going to announce the winners for Junior Prom King and Queen!"

A hushed murmur rippled across the room. Dylan gripped my hand tightly. I chuckled, finding his high expectations unrealistic and adorable.

"And the winning couple is…"

Everyone drummed their hands their laps quickly, simulating a drumroll as the suspense mounted.

"MIKE CHANG AND BRITTANY BERGAN!"

The room exploded with applause as Mike led a confused Brittany onto the stage. I would be lying if I didn't say I was a bit disappointed, especially when Dylan sighed and said "Ahh, well." The 'Royal Couple' were each handed a fake-ass plastic tiara, even cheaper than the one Brittany already had. She took it and stared at it, as if expecting it to do a trick. Then she whispered something to Mike, who nodded avidly. She snatched the mic, teetered a bit, then tapped it harshly.

"Um, hi," she said, staring blankly into crowd. "Thanks for voting for me, but I already have a tiara."

She fingered the plastic tiara in her hands as the crowd muttered in confusion.

"I don't need another one," she continued, almost losing her footing. "This one's really cheap anyway. So I wanna give it to my gay boyfriend Kurt. He likes sparkly things, and him and Dylan are the hottest couple in the school… so yeah. And if anyone has a problem with that… I'll kick them in the balls…"

I could feel my face turning bright red. Brittany was the sweetest, stupidest girl I had ever met. I hoped she didn't regret her decision when she sobered up. Dylan and I caught the tiaras as they came flying across the room after Brittany and Mike tossed them our way. Slowly, applause rose in the crowd. Principal Figgins looked absolutely horrified, but I didn't care. Dylan placed the tiara gently on my head, smiling wider than I had ever seen him smile.

"Go Queerios!" Brittany slurred, then jumped back down onto the dance floor.

I hugged by boyfriend tightly and we laughed, not letting go for what seemed like forever.

Soon, the crowd had thinned out, and the only people left around us were Mercedes, Tina and Brittany. Everyone else had sat down for dinner.

"YOUR gay boyfriend? He's MY gay boyfriend!" Mercedes snapped in Brittany's face.

"Whatever, I grabbed his ass, so he's my gay boyfriend," she gurgled back.

"False," said Dylan, turning to face them. "He's _my_ gay boyfriend."

The girls broke out into a chorus of "aww"s. I rolled my eyes.

We shuffled over to the table where Matt, Mike and Artie sat waiting for us. The food was mediocre (typical Breadstix) but I honestly didn't care. I was the happiest boy alive at that moment. We joked and laughed and talked about nothing at all. Pure bliss. Halfway through dinner, Dylan's phone rang. He came back announcing that his mom was taking Hannah on an impromptu trip to Cincinnati and wouldn't be back for two days.

Soon, the waiters were clearing the tables and the dance floor was filling back up again. I took Dylan's hand, leading him into the crowd of people, but he didn't seem too interested in dancing. He placed a soft hand on my cheek, stroking it gently.

"You are so beautiful."

My eyes fluttered shut. "Mmmm. Thanks. So are you."

"Let's go home," he whispered in my ear.

"Home? But it's not over! They haven't even played Bad Ro… ohhh."

I got the message as he began trailing hot kisses down my neck, painfully slow. I looked up at him, his eyes dark and eager. I nodded, taking his hand and leading him through the crowd, out the door, and running into the street. We ran through the night, hands clasped tightly, without a single care in the world. Both smiling like idiots, we ran for what seemed like hours, till we finally burst through the front door of Dylan's house. It was dark and quiet, just like we wanted it. We tripped over our own feet while rushing up the stairs. I stubbed my toe on a step. I swore loudly and we giggled like little schoolgirls, continuing with our mad dash.

The door of Dylan's bedroom slammed behind us, and he didn't waste any time. He attacked my mouth immediately, pulling off his suit jacked and beginning to work on mine. He walked me back towards the bed, causing me to trip over the stuff on his floor. He caught my arm quickly, and we stumbled back onto the mattress, his body firmly on top of mine.

He kissed me roughly as our hands worked on each other's buttons. He accidentally ripped one off of my shirt, and looked up at me innocently.

"Ooops…"

"Issokay," I breathed. "Just don't stop…"

He nodded, smiling cheekily as he kissed my newly exposed chest, my fingers grabbing a fistful of his curls. I bucked my hips up against his, and he did the same, now sucking hard on my neck. I couldn't help but moan loudly, grinding myself against him. Words could not express how good it felt, the heat, the friction, his wet lips. I never wanted it to end. Ever.

* * *

Our eyelids were heavy.

Our bodies were sweaty.

Our breathing was slowly returning to normal.

Just before finally drifting off, I felt Dylan's lips on my ear –

"You are my only exception."


	20. Plans

A few dim rays of sunshine peeked in from behind the curtains, the warm glow slowly spreading across the room. Beside me, a sleeping Dylan hummed, tightening his grip around my waist. I chuckled, still barely awake. The pleasant silence made me want to fall back asleep, dreaming of the wonderful things we did the night before. I snuggled back into my boyfriend's arms, and to my surprise, I felt a soft kiss being pressed onto my neck. Dylan was awake!

"Morning, sleepy head," I said, rolling over to face him.

His eyes were tired but sparkling. "Morning, beautiful." He kissed me firmly on the lips, catching me off guard.

"Mmf," I squirmed, pulling away. "You are such a sap."

"You know you love it."

He nuzzled his nose against mine, causing me to squeal. "Move fast, dontchya?"

"Have I told you I love you?" he whispered sweetly against my neck.

"Mmm… only about 500 times last night," I shot back, smirking.

"Look – who's – talk - ing!" he exclaimed, poking my shoulder with every syllable. "You were the one shrieking at the top of your lungs? Who knew Kurt Hummel, Mr. Poised and Reserved, would be so… _vocal_?"

I rolled my eyes. "The lungs of a countertenor, sweetheart."

Dylan shook his head and tackled me into the mattress, pinning me down and then lifting himself up to look at me. "You are so. Fucking. Cute."

He swooped down to kiss god-knows-what, but I put my finger to is lips. "Simmer down, cowboy. It's waaaay too early for any of this."

Dylan scowled and reluctantly settled back down into bed. I cuddled closer into his arms, enjoying the warmth. Yes, I was content with just lying there, listening to the repetitive rhythm of his heartbeat, the rise and fall of our breathing becoming one. I was almost asleep again when Dylan cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

"I have to tell you something."

My stomach sank. I did _not_ like the sound of that.

"Mmyeah?"

He sighed. "My mom wants to go back to New York."

It was as if the world had gone frigid. The temperature of the room seemed to drop ten degrees, the light from outside seemed to fade, and my heart seemed to stop beating. _No. No no no no no…_ But a faint voice in the back of my head told me she was right. The Katzes didn't belong in Lima. Hell, _I _didn't belong in Lima. Why were Dylan and Hannah at McKinley when they could be at that fancy-pants school, LaGuardia? After what happened to Dylan, Mrs. Katz was out of her _mind_ to stay here. As much as it killed me to lose him, I didn't want to see him suffer.

"Oh." I blinked back tears I didn't realize had formed in my eyes.

Dylan sat up quickly. "No!" he took notice of the grim look on my face. "No no no NO! Not forever!"

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"No, just for the summer," he said, pulling me up with him and rubbing his hand up and down my arm. "Baby, I wouldn't leave you for anything." He kissed me sweetly on the cheek.

I giggled. "Again, you are _such_ a sap."

Dylan laughed, kissing me firmly on the cheek. "Shut up, you."

I stared down at the white duvet, my mind racing. "But… Dylan… what if…"

I could barely bring myself to say it.

"What if what?"

I sighed. "What if the football incident happens again? You never know… next time it could be more than just a sprained wrist. It's just going to get worse and worse in this _stupid_ cow town."

Dylan raised an eyebrow cheekily. "Bring it."

"What?"

"Bring it!" he repeated. "Look, Kurt, we only have one more year here before we can move back to New York for good. Right now, my mom has a stable job here, and your family's here, so we have to stay. After that, we'll get out of here. I promise."

I beamed up at him. I absolutely loved how he kept saying "we". It gave me a warm sense of security that he wasn't going anywhere. He would always be by my side.

"I love you," I told him, taking his hand in mine.

"I love you too," he replied, kissing my cheek. "Oh, and by the way, you're coming too."

My eyes widened. "_What?"_

Dylan smirked. "Uh-huh. My mom already talked to your dad about it. We leave on July 1st."

I squealed with glee, and kissed him hard on the mouth. I couldn't believe it. I was going to New York. I was going to New York with Dylan. I was going to New York with Dylan and Hannah and the amazing BAMF that was Jackie Katz. I was going to see Broadway shows, and visit the Statue of Liberty, and all the museums, and I was gonna go shopping, yes, I had to shop _everywhere. _And we'd go for moonlit strolls in Central Park, and eat at the finest restaurants, and swim at Coney Island… it was going to be amazing.

Dylan tackled me down onto the bed, but this time I let him, kissing him fiercely. He were one big tangle of bare limbs, lips and tongues flying everywhere. He pressed sloppy wet kisses down my neck, shoulders, moving lower, getting dangerously close to –

_GURGGLE!_

I pulled away and looked at him quizzically. "Hungry?"

Dylan laughed, sitting up. "Starved. What time is it?"

I glanced over at the alarm clock on the bedside table. "Eleven thirty."

"No wonder," he said, sliding out of bed and over to his dresser. I didn't even notice I was staring till he pulled on a pair of boxers, shielding himself from view. I shook myself out of the trance and slid out of bed myself.

"_Mother fucker!_"

The soreness in my backside startled me, and I leaned against the bed.

"Y'alright?" Dylan asked from underneath the T-shirt he was pulling over his head.

"Yeah," I wheezed.

"Hurting?"

"Oww, yeah." I caught my reflection in the mirror. My neck was practically covered in hickies. I dreaded having to explain this to my dad later.

Dylan walked came up behind me, kissing the top of my head. "You'll get used to it. They say it only hurts after the first, eh, five times, so by this afternoon, you should be fine."

I blushed scarlet at his suggestion, and he winked. "Come on, get some clothes on… or not. Let's eat."

* * *

Well, that's it guys! This is the last chapter. Proceeding this will be a short epilogue, which should be up soon. Thank you SO MUCH, you guys are amazing.


	21. Epilogue

Alrighty, here it is! I hope you like it. You guys have been so amazing, thank you!

Oh! And the first person who guesses which line I took directly from Chris Colfer's twitter gets to request a Glee one-shot :)

* * *

"So how did you like it?"

My eyes were still wide as saucers as we exited the Gershwin theatre. I had absolutely no words for what I had just witnessed. Well, maybe a few, such as WOW. AMAZING. BRILLIANT. STUNNING. WOW. BEAUTIFUL. INSPIRING. Did I mention WOW?

"Huh?"

Dylan chuckled. "I take it that your speechlessness is a good thing?"

I continued staring up at the pretty lights, still in shock. "That was amazing."

"Yeah, thought you might like it," he said, slinging his arm around my shoulder. We continued up the crowded street, my head still spinning.

This was _nothing_ like the national tour I saw. This was _Broadway_. This was _Wicked_ on Broadway. Dylan had surprised me with tickets on our last night here, and I couldn't have thought of a better way to end the best two weeks of my life. We rounded a corner onto Times Square, and my jaw dropped. It was... beautiful. So many lights and billboards and screens and people... it was overwhelming. I felt tears pricking the backs of my eyes. I could hardly believe it. I was standing in the middle of Times Square. I was standing in the middle of Times Square _with Dylan_. I knew right then and there that this was where I belonged, and this was where I intended to stay.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Dylan asked. I realized I had stopped in the middle of the street while he had walked several paces ahead. Many hurried New Yorkers scowled at me in annoyance.

I shook myself out of the trance. "Nothing, I... it's just... wow."

Dylan laughed. I'd been at quite a loss for words for practically the entire trip, so he was quite used to this. "Ever seen Times Square at night?"

I shook my head, still mesmerized. In our two weeks here, we had been all around Brooklyn, the Village, the Upper West side, SoHo, etcetera. We'd been to midtown once or twice, but never at night. At night, it seemed like an entirely new world.

Dylan's adorable chuckle brought me out of my daze. "Come'ere, you."

He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me in for a kiss. I smiled against his mouth, remembering the first time he kissed me in public while in New York; I squirmed away and shouted "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" He seemed to find this hilarious, and pushed me up against the wall of the nearest building for another kiss. It didn't take me long to realize that New York was nothing like Lima. Two boys kissing in the middle of the street was fairly ordinary, if not celebrated. I could _seriously_ get used to that.

"Come on," he said, pulling away and heading towards the curb. "It's getting late, my mom's gonna flip." He stuck out his thumb and called "Taxi!"

I raised an eyebrow at him. "What are you doing? I thought you said only tourists took taxis."

"Myeah, well..." he said, shrugging. "We just saw Wicked and are standing in the middle of Times Square with our mouthes wide open. We might as well pretend."

I laughed and settled into the taxi that pulled up in front of us, Dylan shooting out the address of our hotel. The driver rolled his eyes when he realized he had to drive to Brooklyn, but took off into the traffic anyway. During our time in the city, I had already gotten used to the subway, despite my original objections towards it. Riding it for the first time was hell - it was crowded and dirty and made me uncomfortable. Gradually, I got used to it, and actually became quite fond of it. But a nice, comfortable, air-conditioned taxi on this warm July night was acceptable too. I stared out at the bright lights and the countless people rushing by, which was quite soothing. I lunged forward as the taxi stopped again, seemingly stuck in traffic. It might now be as efficient as the subway, but it was surely comfortable. I found my eyelids drooping shut, and my body sliding down onto Dylan's shoulder. He smiled against my hair, and wrapped his arms around me, placing a few chaste kisses on my temple. I felt like a little kid again, driving at night and falling asleep in the car. It was amazing.

When we arrived back at the hotel, I checked that I had everything packed up before settling into bed with Dylan. I made sure I had all my new clothes and my NYU brochures in a safe place. I had never seen anything as incredible as that school. When Dylan and I went to visit, I knew immediately that it was the school for me.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he asked, reaching a hand over to my cheek.

I sighed. "The worst part about coming to New York City is leaving New York City."

He rolled closer to me and started to plant kisses down my neck. "But we're not leaving... not really, anyway."

"Mehh," I spat, curling my leg around his. "It ended way to fast."

Dylan propped himself up on his elbow, his eyes wide with excitement. "Don't you get it?"

I raised an eyebrow at him. He grinned, then laced his fingers in between mine.

"This isn't the end," he said matter-of-factly. "It's only just the beginning."


End file.
